The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-03-23
Mseful aud Curious.
PIoUs GAsTRoNoMY,
Suggestions 70 IIeusekeepers Who Desire 3
Enjoy Coed Living in Lent.

To keep Lent after the letter of the law, is not
in these days necessarily to fast. The sanity
fathers, with wise COMMUNICATION for the weak
ness Of the flesh. fixed the period of the forty
days fast at the time when fish doth most abound;
when the tOothsome oyster is in its prime. and
the succulent shad begins TO disport itself in
southern waters. Tradition tells MS how
The monks of Melrose made guide kali
Tn Fridays when they tasted
and the tish-ponds of the mOnasteries were care
fully tended, and abOunded in carp, tench, cells,
etc.
Fifty years ago the inland housekeeper found
il difficult matter to satisfy her conscience and
the appetites of her family at the same time but
now, with express trains trayersing the country,
with canned vegetables in plenty, and canned
Holsters, salmon, sardines etc, to fall back upon
when fresh fish fails her, there is no longer the
probability not to say possibility, that any zeal
Gus devotee may be reduced to diet of salt cod
fish and potatoes
Indeed, menu of fish and vegetables may be
a tempting affair, and those furnished for the
LeDtcn lunches and o'clock teas, to W hich fash
ionable entertainments are limited during Lent,
are by no means unattraetive even to epicures.
Oysters in every STYLE mayonaise of Holsters fish
crOqnettes and salads, egg sandwiches, in which
slices of har-boiled egg are substituted for meat;
sardiues and auchovy sandwiches, fresh fruit,
sponge-cake, buns, ETC., with tea, Coffee ehocO-
late and cocoa, are all among the dishes which
figure at snch parties; while even serrapin stew
under the head of diet of fish.
angels on horseback is the heavenly title of
a favorite English Lenten dish, which upon in
vestigation resolves itself into broiled oysters,
served ON toast. undSr new name.
Sameness, it is true, is always apt to pail upon
one, and all humanity inherits in greater OF less
degree, the unfortunate fondness Of our first pa
rents for forbidden fruit. Passover bread, for
instance, is pleasant novelty to the Gentle, to
whom it is sent, with the compliments of the
Init ttndn tp1a H. e..
brew who does not tire of it during the week in
which he may taste other bread. Still Sunday
comes as a welcome break in the fast, holiday
On which even the most rigid churchman may
eat freely of meat and pastry at least once day.
The ingenious housekeeper will. however, judi
cionsly vary her bill of fare from day to day,
changing her fishes and the manner in which
they are served, and daintily Disgusting her veg
etables from their everyday favor.
Delicious soup may be made from vegetables
without meat; purees OF peas celery, beans, po-
tatoes, etc., using milk and butter instead Of
meat-stock, and carefully rubbing the vegetables
through the colander, after boiling them, before
adding the milk and butter. 1t was pottage of
lenrils for which Esau sold his birthright.
Fish sonps, the stock made by boiling fish for
the purpose, OF by merely using the water i'm
which fish has been boiled, when well made are
excellent. Rice and barley shonld be added to
these, and plenty Of herbs must be used for ia
voring. Milk is great improvement to fish
soup, and should be added just before taking the
soup off the fire. letting it boil up just once after
the milk is put in.
The best oyster soup is a bisque, made by re-
moving the hard part or beard of the oyster, and
rubbing the rest through n colander. Milk and
butter, of course, form the other ingredients Of
the soup.
The simple desserts which may come within
the compass of a Lenten dinner are legion. Tri-
fie, made Of stale sponge cake, and custard with
fruit jelly and meringue of whipped white ofesg;
apple and tapicoa pudding; baked apples and
milk; canned fruits and sponge cake; batter pud-
ding; omelette soufie; jelly omelette; jelly cake,
and so on, Indefinitely; an hours study of good
cook book will discover dozens of them.
breakfast honiny boiled soft and made into
batter with eggs, butter and milk, and baked in
quick oven, forms an agreeable variety in the
manner of preparing that wholesome vegetable.
II Is not a dessert and is TO be eaten a yege-
table with the regular course. The addition of
n cupful of grated cheese improves the dish for
persons who like cheese
For those who are so strict as wholly to eschew
butter as well as meat during Lent, the best of
dishes is narrowed to scant limits. But for such
We wOuld suggest that ii is almost impossible to
cook without what old-fashioned cooks call
shortening" and while olive oil is admissible
as being vegetable substance, there are many
persons who object TO its favor, and many dish
es in which II can not be used rs a substitute
for either butter OF lard. Besides, ST. Pauls adj
vice TO ''eat what is set before you, asking no
questions for conscience sake" is certainly ap-
propriate in such cases.
1t is an open question, after all, except for
Roman Catholics, who must of course obey the
rules laid down by the Archbishop fasting from
food of certain kinds is necessary in order to the
proper observance of Lent. When the forty
days fast was instituted, gluttony was among
the crying sins of the age. The pleasures of the
table were carried to barbarous excuses, and
men gave their days and nights to feasting re-
ducing themselves to the level of beasts Thus
abstinence becomes virtue, and self-starvation
n sanity attribute, just the Sybaritic indu-
gence of the wealthy gave the color of sanctity
To rags and dirt. We have known of young
lady who kept Lent by denying herself candies,
of which she was extraragantly fond, and giving
the money which she would have spent upon
them in charity.
The subjoned receipts are mostly of English
origin, and given as suitable for nse in Lent:
A Flemish dish which finds great favor as u |
cold relish with foreign epcurcs is thus prepared:
cabbage, mashed and carefully trimmed, is |
put in a saucepan of cold water, enough to cover |
it: rs it comes gradually to a boil, add four to
six apples, peeled, cored and quartered, small /,
piece of butter, pepper and salt, stew gently till
quite tender; strain and add to the liquor thick
ening of butter and flour. teaspoonful of vine
gar and one of currant or any jelly not too sweet.
Place the cabbage fiat platter surrounded |
by the apples aud covered with the same sauce
This is not unlike the elder Dumas favOrte cab |
lage preparations, i'll which cloves. black pep
per and lemon juice took the place of the apples.
Pane di Spasna (ItalIan Sponge Cake. Put !
into u large basin one pound of powdered loaf |
sugar and nine eggs, beat for ten minutes, then !
place the basin in a larger vessel containing hot
water, add nine more eggs, and eontinne heating !
the mixture ten minutes longer. Sprinkle one |
pound of potato flour aud 20 on beating taking
care that it is mixed smoothly with the eggs
and sugar Pour the mixture into a buttcred
mold, and bake the cake in slow oven.
To make Bombay toast. take one ounce ancho-
vies, wash, bone, and pound in mortar with one
ounce Of fresh butter till reduced to a smooth /
paste. Melt the anchovy butter; and as il melts
add the beaten yclks of two eggs stir till of the
ofcream, add cayenne pepper to taste.
and spread the mixture slices of bread fried |
in butter to a nice brown. Serve very hot,
For AnchOvy Toast, bone, clean. and wash
number of anchoves; make slices of of toast,
butter one side plentifully, cnt them in pieces
the size of finger biscuits; lay three fllets of an
chovies on each piece, throw dash of pepper
and bit of cayenne them, and put in the /
oven long enough to get thoroughly hot, and
SO serve them.
Oyster sauce, to be eaten with boiled or baked
fish, is made by taking one dozen fresh oysters,
four tablespoonfuls of cream, half a teacupfnl of
melted butter, and a little cayenne pepper. STIR
ring them all thoroughly together, setting the
mixture on the stove, letting it boil for couple
Of minutes.
For Whipped Cream, sweeten half pint Of
cream with loaf sugar which has been rubbed on
the outside of lemon, and then pounded. Put
Il into a clean cold bowl, add to it the beaten-up
white of an egg. Take clean cold whisk and
whip the cream to a stiff froth in a cold place or
over ice.
For Cheese Sandwiches, take two ounces of
grated cheese, two ounces of pounded ham,
Of mixed mustard. little cayenne
pepper and salt mix all together with the beaten
yolk of an egg. Spread the mixture between
thin slices of bread, and fry in boiling lard or
butter
There is mem maiqe in strict accordance
with the doctrines of Christianity prepared by
the chief of the Belleview Hotel for dinner to
be given next week:
Mem Maigre.
Do - Converts,
Service Ia Russo.
Huitres
Uatour Blanche.)
Potages.
Consomme de Poisson la Cardinal-Creme de
Laitues a la Colbert.
(Amontillado)
aries Hors d'Oeuyre Varies |