A Little Cook Book for a Little Girl Part 12

Cream of Almonds

This was what Margaret called a Dinner-party Soup, because it seemed almost too good for every day, but, as her mother explained, almonds cost no more than canned tomatoes or peas, and the family can have the soup as well as guests, provided one has plenty of cream.

1 cup of chopped almonds.

1 quart of thin cream.

Small half-teaspoonful of salt.

Get ten cents' worth of Jordan almonds, and put them in boiling water for one minute; then pour off the water and put on cold, till they are well chilled. Turn this off, and push the almonds out of their skins, one by one. If they stick, it is because they were not in the hot water long enough, and you must put them back into it, and then into the cold. Chop them while the cream heats in the double boiler, and then put them in with the salt, and simmer ten minutes and then strain.

This soup is especially delicious if whipped cream is either mixed with it at the end, or served on top.

You can also make good almond soup by using the regular rule; cooking the chopped nuts in a pint of water, adding the thickened pint of milk and seasoning, and straining twice. Then, after it is in the tureen, you must put in the egg-beater and whip well, to make it light.

Cream of Spinach

1 pint cold cooked spinach.

1 quart of milk.

Heat the spinach, using a little of the quart of milk with it, and press through the sieve; thicken the rest of the milk, and the seasoning, and strain again. It is better to use cayenne pepper instead of black with spinach.

Cream of Tomato Soup, Called Tomato Bisque.

4 large tomatoes, cut up, or 1/2 can, with 1/2 cup of water.

2 slices of onion.

2 sprigs of parsley.

1 teaspoonful of sugar.

1/2 teaspoonful salt.

1/4 teaspoonful soda.

1 quart of milk.

1 tablespoonful b.u.t.ter.

1 tablespoonful flour.

Cook the tomatoes with the onion, parsley, sugar, and salt for twenty minutes. Mix in the soda and stir well; the soda prevents the milk from curdling. Make the milk and flour and b.u.t.ter into white sauce as usual; strain the tomato, mix the two, and strain again.

Sometimes add a stalk of celery to the other seasoning as it cooks.

Cream of Clams

1 dozen hard clams, or one bunch of soft ones.

1 quart of rich milk.

1 tablespoonful b.u.t.ter.

1 tablespoonful flour.

3 shakes of pepper.

Chop the clams and drain off the juice and add as much water; cook till the sc.u.m rises, and skim this off. Drop in the clams and cook three minutes. Heat the milk and thicken as usual; put in the clams and juice, cook for one minute, and strain.

Notice that there is no salt in this soup. A cup of cream, whipped, either put on top or stirred in, is very nice.

Oyster Soup

1 pint oysters.

1/2 pint water.

1 quart rich milk.

1/2 teaspoonful salt.

Drain off the oyster juice, add the water, boil it for one minute, and skim it well. Heat the milk and mix it with this; drop in the oysters and cook one minute, or till the edges begin to curl, and it is done. This soup is not thickened at all; but if you like you may add two tablespoonfuls of finely powdered and sifted cracker-crumbs.

Meat Soup or Bouillon Made from Extract

This Margaret made from beef extract, before she learned to use the fresh beef.

2 teaspoonfuls of extract, or 2 capsules.

1 quart of boiling water.

1/2 an onion, sliced.

1 stalk of celery.

1/2 teaspoonful salt.

2 shakes of pepper.

2 sprays of parsley.

Simmer this for twenty minutes, strain, and pour over six thin slices of lemon, one for each plate. Serve with hot crackers.

Cream Bouillon

Make this same soup, and pour it over a half-pint of thick cream, well whipped. Do not put any lemon in it. Serve with hot crackers.

Meat Soups

You can make meat soup, or stock, out of almost any kind of meat, cooked or raw, with bones or without. Many cooks never buy fresh meat for it, and others think they must always have it. It is best to learn both ways.

Plain Meat Soup

1 s.h.i.+n of beef.

5 quarts of water.

1 small tablespoonful of salt.

1 head celery, cut up.

1 onion.

1 carrot.

1 turnip.

1 sprig of parsley.

2 bay-leaves.