Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1875-01-29
HOUSEHOLD.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING SoUPs-
Lean, juicy beef, mutton and veal, form the
basis of all good soups therefore 1t is advisable
TO procure those pieces which afford the richest
succulence, and such as are fresh-killed. Stale
meat renders them bad, and fat is not so well
adapted for making them. The principal art in
composing good, rich soup, Is so to proportion
the several ingredients that the flavor of one
shall not predominate over another, and that all
the articles Of which il is composed, shall form
an agreeable whole. To accomplish this, care
must be taken that the roots and herbs are per-
fectly well cleaned, and that the water is pro-
portioned to the quantity of meat and other in
gradients. Generally quart of water may be
allowed to pound of meat for soups, and half
the quantity for gravies. In making soups or
gravies, gentle stewing or simmering is incom-
parably the best. It may be remarked, however.
that really good soup can never be made but
in well-closed vessel, although, perhaps, great
er wholesomeness is obtained by an occasional
exposure to the air. Soups will, in general, take
from three to six hours doing, and are much
better prepared the day before they are wanted.
When the soup is cold, the fat may be much
more easily and completely removed =; and when
it is poured of, care must be taken not to dis
turb the settings at the bottom of the vessel,
which are so fine that they viii escape through
sieve. tamis is the best strniner, and if the
soup is strained while it is hot, let the tamis or
cloth be previously soaked in cold water. Clear
soups must be perfectly transparent, aud thick
ened soups about the conslstence of cream. To
thicken and give body to soups and graYiez,
potato-muciiage, arrow-root, bread-raspings,
isnglass, -four and butter, barley, rice or oat-
meal, in little water rubbed well together are
used. A piece Of boiled beef pounded to q pulp,
with bit of butter and -four, and rubbed through
a sieve, and gradually incorporated with the
soup, will be found an excellent addition. When
the soup appears to be-too thin or too weak, the
cover of the boiler should be taken of, and the
contents allowed 10 boil till some of the watery
parts have evaporated; or some of the thcken-
ing materials above mentioned should be added.
When soups and gravies kept from day to
day in hot weather, they should be warmed up
every day, and put into fresh scalded pans or
rate weather, every other day may be sufficient.
Various herbs and vegetables are required for
the purpose of making soups and gravIes. OF
these the principal are--Scotch barley, pearl
barley, wheat -four, oatmeal, bread-raspings,
peas, beans, rice, vernicel, maearoni, isinglass,
potato-mucilage, mushroom or ulushroom ketch-
up, champignons, parsnips, carrots, beetroot,
turnips, garlic, shalots and onions. Sliced ou-
ions, fried with butter and -four till they ae
hbaJ
excellent to heighten the color and flavor Of
brown soups and sauces, and form the basis of
many of the fine relishes furnished By the cook.
The older and drier the onion, the stronger will
be its flavor. Leeks, cucumber or brunei vine-
gar; celery or celery seed pounded. The latter,
though equally strong, does not impart the deli
cate sweetness of the fresh vegetable; and when
used as a substitute, its favor should be correct
cd by the addition of bit o. sugar. Cress-reed,
parsley, common thyme, lemon thyme, orsnge
thyme, knotted majeram, sage, mint, winter
savory and basil. As fresh green basil is seldom
to be procured, and les fine favor is sooa lost,
the best way of preserving the extract is by
pouring wine on the fresh leaves.
For the seasoning of soup, bay y-leaves, tomato,
tarragon, chervil, burnet, allspice, cinnamon,
ginger, nutmeg, Glove, mace, black and white
Juice, and Seville orange juice, are all taken
The latter imparts finer flavor than the lemon,
and the acid is much nilder. These materials,
with wine, mushroom ketehup, Harvey's sauce,
tomato sauce, combined in various proportions,
are, with other ingredients, manipulated into an
almost endless variety Of excellent soups and
gravies. Soups, which are intended to consti-
tute the principal part of meal, certainly ought
not to have been Favored like sauces, which arc
only designed to give a relish to some particular
Home Magazine.
MEDICAL PROPERTIES OF EGes.--The white of
an egg has proved of late the most eficacious
remedy for burns. Seven or eight successive
applications of this substance soothe pain, and
exclude the burn from the air. Th
simple remedy seems to be preferable to cole
dion or even cotton. Extraordinary stories al
told Of the healing properties of new oil whie.
is easily made from the yolk of hens eggs. Tn
eggs are first boiled hard and the yolks are thel
removed, crushed and placed over fire, wher
they are carefully stirred until the whole sub
stance Ia Just OH the point of catching fire, whe
the oil separates and may be poured of. On
yolk will yield nearly two teaspoonsful of oi
1t is in general use among the colonists of Sout
Russia as a means Of curing cuts, bruises an
A DISH FOR BREAKFAsT.-Take a sheep
brains and solid SO to set them; when col
divide each lobe kidney, egg and brea'
crumb, and fry a nice, light brown, with lit
rows of bacon as an accompanimeni.