Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-04-15
THE DINING-ROOM,
How to Make Plain, Cheap Dishes from Sour
Bones and Cheap Meat.
From the Household.

from Cne HousonOld.
''Please tell US how to make the plain,
cheap dishes from soup bones and cheap
meat, ETC., so that they will be good
enough to eat There are doubtless many
among the band besides myself who are
obliged to practic economy, but when we
have made something by one of these
cheap recipes and find that no one will
eat it, fail to see where the economy
comes in"
This is text from which many a long
chapter might be written, and, indeed,
we read many, as it is at present a very
popular one. But many of the readers
who try the economical recipes contained
in them find, like the Household sister
who writes me the above sentence, that
they have 'made something cheap that
nobody will eat" Not while it isn't at all
necessary that the least extravaganza
should be INDUCED in order to make
things palatable, it is necessary that the
other extreme is not reached, and we
become worse than extravaganza, wasteful.
For many of these so-called cheap dish
es are not fit for mortal man to eat, nor
mortal woman either, for that matter.
And she who has to throw food away be-
cause it isn't good enough to eat, is the
most extravaganza and wasteful of house
keepers, often, however, to be pitied in
stead of blamed, as she generally has tried
to be very economical and failed because
she didn't know just how.
From the soup bones and cheaper pieces
of meat many a wholesome and savory
dish can be prepared, and also many which
are anything but palatable. Soups which
are greasy, watery and improperly sea-
soned, stews which are stringy and taste
less with pieces of bone and gristle
plentifully interspersed, unpleasant alike
to sight and taste, these things surely do
not come under the head of economical
cookery!
In making soup from "soup bones :"
choose those which are very fresh, and
with plentiful supply of meat, and re-
member that boiling too long gives dis
agreeable gluey flavor which is by no
means desirable. The bones and meat
should be nicely washed and put in ket-
tie with cold water to rather more than
cover, adding one-half teaspOOnful of salt
to each quart of water. Heat slowly,
skim carefully as it nears the boiling point
and boil not more than four hours. Re-
move the bones and meat and strain the
broth into a large bowl. Cut the meat
from the bones, C6fSIully removing any
bits of gristle, and when cold cover
closely.
The next morning remove the fat from
the cold broth Git should be clarified, and
will be found excellent for ''shOrtening")
and put it in a porcelain kettle, adding
water to make the desired quantity and a
teaspoonful of rice for each quart. Peel
and slice two or three potatoes, carrot
ooll
a slice of turnip in squares and shred
quarter of a small cabbage fine, and add
them all to the soup, when 1T begins to
boil. Cover and simmer for an hour,
add if desired a little of the meat cut in
small pieces and let it just boil up. Of
course, more salt and pepper, if liked, is
to be added, if the soup is not sufficient
" seasoned, and two or three stalks Of
celery chopped rather fine and added a
few minutes before serving improves it
for many tastes.
If any is left it will be just as good
warmed over" for next day, or part of
the stock can be kept for different soup,
using the rice but no vegetables, and add
ing, half an hour before dinnertime, a pint
or more of canned tomato and one tea
spoonful (heaping) of Drowned flour
mixed to a paste with cold water, and
served with toasted bread cut up in small
squares or Drowned crackers.
In former "Notes" have given direc-