Oyster Soup. (No. 1.)

Drain the oysters from the liquor and strain the liquor. Put in the stew-kettle a teacupful of hot water and a quart of rich new milk. When it comes to a boil turn in the oysters, and when hot again, add the strained liquor. Take a large lump of butter - a good tablespoonful and press it in a tablespoonful of flour to thicken it. Stir this into it and let it just come to a boil. You may add a blade of mace or a little grated nutmeg; also, a head of celery cut into small pieces, if you have it.

Oyster Soup. (No. 2.)

One quart of oysters, one quart of milk, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one pint of water. Strain the liquor from the oysters, add to it the water, and set it over the fire to heat slowly in a covered vessel. When it is near boiling, skim off thoroughly; season with pepper and salt, and pour in the milk (which should be heated to a boiling point in a separate vessel), after which, stir constantly. When the soup again nears the boiling point, add the oysters, and let them stew until they "ruffle," on the edge. This will be in about five minutes. Then put in the butter and stir well until it is melted. When the soup is ready to serve, add a little rolled cracker. Serve with sliced lemon and crackers. The crowning excellence in oyster soup is to have it cooked just enough. Too much stewing ruins the bivalves, while an underdone oyster is a flabby abomination. The plumpness of the main body and ruffled edge are good indices of their right condition.

Clam Soup

Thirty clams, two quarts of water, one pint of milk, two tablespoonfuls of butter, two eggs. If you cannot buy the clams already opened, put them in a large pan or tray, and pour boiling water over them. This will open the shells. Take them out as fast as they unclose, that you may save all the liquor they contain. Drain off this and put it over the fire, and when it comes to a boil, put in the clams, chopped up fine, boil three minutes, add the milk, which has been heated to scalding (not boiling), in another vessel. Boil up again taking care the soup does not burn, and put in the butter, pepper, salt, and the eggs. Then serve without delay. If you desire a thicker soup, add two tablespoonfuls of flour to a little cold milk, and put in with the pint of hot milk.

Catfish Soup

Six catfish, in average weight half a pound apiece, one-half pound of salt pork, one quart of sweet milk, two eggs, one head of celery, or a small bag of celery seed. Skin and clean the fish and cut them up. Chop the pork into small pieces. Put these together into the pot with two quarts of water, chopped sweet herbs, and the celery seasoning. Boil for an hour, or until the fish and pork are boiled to pieces; strain it, return it to the sauce-pan and add the milk, which should be already hot; next the eggs, beaten to a froth, and a piece of butter the size of a walnut; boil up once, and serve with dice of toasted bread on top.

Codfish Soup

Boil a teacupful of codfish (shredded fine) in three pints of water for twenty minutes, add three tablespoonfuls of butter mixed till smooth with one heaping tablespoonful of flour and a little hot water; boil up once, add two pints of milk, let boil, add three beaten eggs, serve with bread dice; or, when served in a tureen add one poached egg for each person.

Stock For Soups Or Gravies

Put two knuckles of shins of veal or beef and two onions into eight quarts of water. Boil two hours. Strain into a stone jar and keep in a cool place. When cold, take off the fat. Nice to put into vegetable soups, gravies or meat pies, of any kind.

How To Clear Soup

Let it cool; then beat up the whites of three eggs; stir them into the cold soup with the broken shells of the eggs; set the soup off the fire and keep stirring until the scum rises. Let it boil four or five minutes, then take it off; set it aside until it settles, then strain it and serve hot.

Noodles For Soups

Beat up two eggs, add a pinch of salt, and flour to make it very stiff; knead about ten minutes. Roll out into a sheet so thin as to be almost transparent, rub it with flour and let it stand an hour to dry; then roll it up like a scroll, and begining at one end shave it down fine as you would a head of cabbage for slaw; shake them up with more flour and put them into the soup. Boil ten minutes. .

Forcemeat Balls For Soups

One teacupful of beef marrow, four eggs, a little chopped parsley, three tablespoonfuls of sweet milk. Rub the marrow to a cream; add the beaten eggs, season with pepper and salt, add the milk, and bread crumbs enough to make into little balls the size of a pigeon's egg. Let them stand half an hour before boiling; boil ten minutes in beef soup.

Soup Dumplings

One-half teacupful of butter, one-half teaspoonful of salt, yolks of four eggs. Beat the butter and yolks of the eggs to a cream; season with salt and lemon peel if you like; make them into a soft paste and drop them into the soup with a spoon. These are nice for potato soup.

Calf's Liver Dumplings

Grate two pounds of liver, rub three tablespoonfuls of butter to a cream, add six well beaten eggs; add this to the liver, season with garlic, marjoram, pepper and salt, and a little lemon peel; add bread crumbs enough to make into dumplings. Let them stand one hour before cooking. Boil ten minutes. If you do not like any of the seasoning, you can leave them out and season to taste.