The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-03-26
THE DINING-ROOM.
How to Make Plain, Cheap Dishes from
Scum Homes and Cheap Meat.

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 practice
economy, but when we have made
something by one of these cheap recipes
and find that no one will eat it, l fail to
see where the economy comes IN.
This is a text from which many a long
chapter might be written, and. indeed,
we read many, as it is at present very
popular one. But many OF the readers
who try the economical recipes con-
tanned in them find, like the Household
sister who writes me the above sem
tence, 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 Or
der to make things palatable, it is neces-
sary that the other extreme is not reach
ed, and we become worse than extrava-
giant, wasteful.
For many of these so-called cheap
dishes are not fit for mortal man to eat,
nor mortal woman either, for that mat
ter. And she who has to throw food
away because it isn't good enough to eat
is the most extravagant and wasteful OF
| housekeepers, often, however, to be
pitied instead of blamed, as she general
| " 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 wholesome and
savory dish can be prepared, and also
many which are anything but palatable.
Soups which are greasy, watery and inn
properly seasoned, stews which are
stringy and tasteless with pieces of bone
and gristle plentifully interspersed, un-
pleasant 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 a
disagreeable gluey flavor which is by no
means desirable. The bones and meat
should be nicely washed and put in a
kettle 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. Remove the bones and
meat and strain the broth into large
bowl. Cut the meat from the bones,
carefully removing any bits of gristle,
and when cold cover closely.
} The next morning remove the fa'
from the cold broth Git should be clari
fed, and will be found excellent fol
"shortening') and put it in porcelain
kettle, adding water to make the de
sired quantity and teaspOonful of rict
for each Quart. Peel and slice two o.
three potatoes, q carrot-two, if small
and an onion, If liked; cut a slice o
turnip in squares and shred quarter o
a small cabbage fine, and add them al
to the soup. when it begins to boil
8 Cover and simmer for an hour, add
: desired little of the meat cut in small
4 pieces and let it just boil up. Ofcourse
:, more salt and pepper, if liked, is to b
added if the soup is not sufficiently sea
: soned, and two or three stalks of celer
chopped rather fine and added a few
E minutes before serving improves it TO
q many tastes.
If any is left it will be just as goo
n ..warmed over" for next day, or part G
# the stock can be kept for differen
}, soup. using the rice but no vegetables
g and adding, half an hour before dinner
0 time, a pint or more of canned tomat
:. and one teaspoonful (heaping) c
a Drowned flour mixed to Il paste wit
= cold water, and served with toaste
: bread cut In small squares or browne
!. crackers.
a In former "Notes" have given dire'
v tons for browning flour, which is yer
J. nice to thicken and flavor any but whit
t, SOUPS. From this stock variety {
d soups can be made. BY using differer
n fiavors and vegetables one can vary til
g order indefinitely. The best bean sou
d / know is made as follows: Look ovt
e and wash pint of beans and put thel
d to soak over night in quart of war;
n water. In the morning, drain and p,
e them in q kettle with water to cove
Or and let them come just to the boilin
le point. Stir in one-fourth teaspoonfl
n soda and carefully remove scum whic
"a will soon rise. Then drain and pl
g. them in a porcelain kettle with a qua
70 of stock and one of water, and tie,
- spoonful of salt Cover and simmer fC
al three hours. Then pass. the sou
At through sieve and return to the kettl,
v. Mix to paste q teaspOonful of browne
20 -four and stir in when the soup boil
Add more salt, if necessary, and Il ver
10 little white or cayenne pepper, and poi
n into a warm tureen. Serve with tOaste
:, bread or crackers.
~ The bread may be cut i'm small squar,
and brown delicately i'm n very ht
oven. 1t is less trouble than to toast
Fold napkin in any fanciful desig
q. and put on Il plate, then pile the brea
q upon it and pass about the table
g. serve. 1t is nicer than when the soup
g poured over it in the tmeen, and ii I'll
v table be somewhat scantily furnished
)r as is often the case with soup Dime
re and it makes another dish.
q The meat which is left can be mao
I'll into the vegetable stews or meat dunn
% lings-recipes for which have bee
given in the previous visits TO OF
% Household" dining-room, or vel
: savory pie may be made. Line dee
banking dish with a rather thick cru
Gf your oven does not bake well ut ii
i, bottom, put the crust only around ii
!. sides of the dish,) and put in the me:
d prepared in this manner: Cut in q
8 even slices or pieces as possible
l. won't be possible to carve it very han'
" somely-and put it in n stewpan with
8. cup of the stock tit is good plan {
'e keep pint when making the soup,
d use in warming up the meat) and sufl
8, cient water to cover the meat. Add
Is tablespoonful of butter, and salt to Sc;
o son just right; always adding the 81
after the butter is well mixed in. that
- may not be made too salt When
boils, take out the meat and put half
it in the pie-dish, sprinkle over it
heaping teaspoonful of flour; then nd
y the rest of the meat, pour over it q seal
e cup OF the gravy, sprinkle over it Il te;
is spoonful of flour, and put over it tie.
d spoonful of butter cut in bits; put on Il
,r top crust, which should be cut two {
If three times across the center, and bal
@ three-guarters of an hour in a stead
r oven. Heat the remainder of the gray,
y adding little water if necessary, IN
3 stir in a teaspoonful of flour mike
d smooth with little water. When
10 thickens pour into warm gravy dis
l. and send to the table Immediately.
j. Household