Cream Of Asparagus

Wash one bundle of asparagus, cut off the tips and throw them into a pint of boiling water, add a teaspoon-ful of salt, and simmer gently for fifteen minutes. Strain them and save the water; to this water add the remaining part of the bundle, cut into small pieces. Cook fifteen minutes and press through a colander. Put one quart of milk into a double boiler; rub together two tablespoonfuls of butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour. Add a little of the hot milk to this and work until perfectly smooth, then stir into the milk and cook five minutes. Heat the asparagus mixture, turn the milk quickly into it, season, add the asparagus tips, and serve. This cannot be boiled or it will curdle.

Cream Of Corn

Score each row of grains on six earns of corn; then, with the back of the knife press it out carefully and throw the cobs into a kettle; cover with a quart of water, bring to boiling point and strain. Now, add the scraped corn to the water. Rub together two tablespoonfuls of butter and one of flour. Stir it into this corn mixture and bring to boiling point, then add one pint of hot milk; season and serve.

Cream Of Lettuce

Wash and pull apart two good-sized heads of lettuce. Throw them into a hot saucepan, shake over the fire until the lettuce leaves simply melt. Sprinkle over a teaspoonful of salt, then press through a sieve. Put one quart of milk in a double boiler. Rub together two tablespoonfuls of butter and two of flour, add it to the milk and stir until it thickens. Chop sufficient parsley to make two table-spoonfuls and pound it in a mortar. Put this in a bowl; mix it with the lettuce that has been pressed through the sieve. Stir in the milk, then add a half teaspoonful of beef extract, dissolved in a little of the hot milk; season and serve.

Cream Of Beets

Take four cold, boiled beets and grate them. Dissolve a teaspoonful of beef extract in one pint of boiling water. Add it to the beets, and when they reach the boiling point add one pint of hot milk; stir in a tablespoonful of butter, palatable seasoning of salt, and when it reaches the boiling point, add tablespoonful of arrow-root dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of cold water. Bring to boiling point again, and serve.

Cream Of Chestnut Soup

Shell and blanch one pound of large chestnuts. Cover them with a quart of boiling water; add a slice of onion, piece of celery chopped, a bay leaf, sprig of parsley and a dash of paprica. Cover and boil thirty minutes. Press first through a colander; then add one pint of milk; return the whole to the fire. Rub together two tablespoonfuls of butter and two of flour; add to the soup; cook a minute; add a palatable seasoning of salt, and then press the whole through a puree sieve. Make hot and serve with croutons.