The American Housewife | by Experienced Lady
The writer does not deem any apology necessary for adding another to the long list of gastronomic works, provided she has accomplished the desirable object of producing a Cook Book which shall commend itself to all persons of true taste - that is to say, those whose taste has not been vitiated by a mode of cooking contrary to her own. Although not a Ude or a Kitchener, she does profess to have sufficient knowledge of the culinary art, as practised by good American cooks, to instruct those not versed in this truly interesting science.
The American Housewife:
Containing The Most Valuable And Original Receipts In All The Various Branches Of Cookery;
Written In A Minute And Methodical Manner.
Together With A Collection Of Miscellaneous Receipts, And Directions Relative To Housewifery. By An Experienced Lady.
Also The Whole Art Of Carving,
Illustrated By Sixteen Engravings.
Third Edition.
New York: J
Published By Dayton, And Saxton, (Successors To Gould, Newman, And Saxton,) Corner Of Fulton And Nassau Sts. 1841.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1841, by Dayton & Saxton, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New-York.
- Preface
- The writer does not deem any apology necessary for adding another to the long list of gastronomic works, provided she has accomplished the desirable object of producing a Cook Book which shall commend...
- Hard Soap
- By quick process, from Clean Grease. Put one box of Saponifier into three gallons of water (knock off the end, and let the box boil until it empties itself, then take out the box), add four and a hal...
- Practical Cookery
- Observations respecting Meat. Meat to be in perfection should be kept a number of days when the weather will admit of it. Beef and mutton should be kept at least a week in cold weather, and poultry t...
- Practical Cookery. Part 2
- 4. Alamode Beef The round of beef is the best piece to alamode - the shoulder clod is good, and comes lower; it is also good stew. ed, without any spices. For five pounds of beef, soak about a pound ...
- Practical Cookery. Part 3
- 8. Veal The loin of veal is the best piece for roasting. The breast and rack are good roasted. The breast also is good made into a pot pie, and the rack cut into small pieces and broiled. The leg is ...
- Practical Cookery. Part 4
- 13. Calf's Liver And Heart Are good, broiled or fried. Some people like the liver stuffed and baked. 14. Collops Cut part of a leg of veal into pieces, three or four inches broad - sprinkle flour o...
- Practical Cookery. Part 5
- 20. Turkey Take out the inwards, wash both the inside and outside of the turkey. Prepare a dressing made of bread, soaked soft in cold water, (the water should be drained from the bread, and the brea...
- Practical Cookery. Part 6
- 25. Ducks Are good stewed like pigeons, or roasted. Two or three onions in the dressing of wild ducks, takes out the fishy taste they are apt to have. If ducks or any other fowls are slightly injured...
- Practical Cookery. Part 7
- 32. Ham A ham that weighs ten pounds, should be boiled four or five hours ; if very salt, the water should be changed. Before it is put on the table, take off the rind. If you wish to ornament it, pu...
- Practical Cookery. Part 8
- 38. How To Frizzle Beef Take beef that is fresh smoked and tender - shave it off thin, put it in a stew pan, with water enough to cover it - let it stew ten or fifteen minutes. Three or four minutes ...
- Gravies And Sauces
- 41. Drawn Butter Mix two or three tea spoonsful of flour with a little cold water - stir it till free from lumps, thin it, and stir it into half a pint of boiling water - let it boil two or three min...
- Gravies And Sauces. Continued
- 51. Liver Sauce For Fish Boil the liver of the fish - then mash it fine, stir it into drawn butler, put in a little cayenne, or black pepper, a couple of tea spoonsful of lemon juice, and a table spo...
- Soups
- 63. Soup Herb Spirit Those who like a variety of herbs in soup, will find it very convenient to have the following mixture. Take when in their prime, thyme, sweet marjoram, sweet basil, and summer sa...
- Fish
- 74. Directions For Broiling, Boiling And Frying Fish Fish for boiling or broiling are the best the day after they are caught. They should be cleaned when first caught, washed in cold water, and half ...
- Fish. Part 2
- 77. Codfish Fresh cod is good boiled, fried, or made into a chowder. It is too dry a fish to broil. Salt cod should be soaked in lukewarm water till the skin will come off easily - then take up the...
- Fish. Part 3
- 86. Lobsters And Crabs Put them into boiling water, and boil them from half to three quarters of an hour, according to their size. Boil half a tea cup of salt with every four pounds of the fish. When...
- Vegetables
- 96. Potatoes The best way to cook Irish potatoes, is to pare and put them in a pot, with just boiling water enough to prevent their burning, and a little salt. Cover them tight, and let them stew til...
- Vegetables. Part 2
- 105. Asparagus Cut the white part of the stalks off, and throw it away-cut the lower part of the stalks in thin slices if tough, and boil them eight or ten minutes before the upper part is put in. La...
- Vegetables. Part 3
- 112. How To Stew Mushrooms Cut off the lower part of the stem, as it is apt to have an earthy taste. Peel and put them in a saucepan, with just water enough at the bottom, to prevent their burning to...
- Pickles
- 119. Directions For Pickling Vinegar for pickling should be good, but not of the sharpest kind. Brass utensils should be used for pickling. They should be thoroughly cleaned before using, and no vine...
- Pickles. Continued
- 124. How To Pickle Cabbages And Cauliflowers Purple cabbages are the best for pickling. Pull off the loose leaves, quarter the cabbages, put them in a keg, and sprinkle a great deal of salt, on each ...
- Bread
- 135. Wheat Bread For six common sized loaves of bread, take three pints of boiling water, and mix it with five or six quarts of flour. When thoroughly mixed, add three pints of cold water. Stir it ti...
- Yeast
- 143. Yeast Boil a small handful of hops in a couple of quarts of water. When the strength is obtained from them, strain the liquor - put it back on the fire - take a little of the liquor, and mix smo...
- Biscuit
- 145. Butter Biscuit Melt a tea-cup of butter - mix it with two-thirds of a pint of milk, (if you have not any milk, water may be substituted, but the biscuit will not be as nice.) Put in a tea-spoonf...
- Hot Cakes
- 151. Crackers Rub six ounces of butter with two pounds of flour - dissolve a couple of tea-spoonsful of saleratus in a wine glass of milk, and strain it on to the flour - add a tea-spoonful of salt, ...
- Hot Cakes. Part 2
- 160. Indian Slap Jacks Scald a quart of Indian meal - when lukewarm, turn, stir in half a pint of flour, half a tea-cup of yeast, and a little salt. When light, fry them in just fat enough to prevent...
- Hot Cakes. Part 3
- 169. Frosting For Cake Allow for the white of one egg nine heaping tea-spoonsful of double refined sugar, and one of nice Poland starch. The sugar and starch should be pounded, and sifted through a v...
- Sweet Cakes
- 179. Plain Tea Cakes Mix thoroughly a tea-cup and a half of sugar, half a teacup of butter, stir in a little flour, and half a nutmeg. Dissolve a tea-spoonful of saleratus in a tea-cup of milk, strai...
- Sweet Cakes. Part 2
- 188. Crollers Dissolve a tea-spoonful of saleratus in four table-spoonsful of milk, or leave out one spoonful of milk, and substitute one of wine. Strain it on to half a pint of flour, four table-...
- Sweet Cakes. Part 3
- 196. Rich Cream Cake Stir together, till very white, half a pound of butter, three-quarters of a pound of sugar. Beat the whites and yelks of seven eggs separately to a froth, stir them into the ...
- Sweet Cakes. Part 4
- 203. Lemon Cake Stir together, till very white, a pound of sugar, half a pound of butter - then add eight eggs, beaten to a froth, (the whites and yelks should be beaten separately,) the grated rind ...
- Sweet Cakes. Part 5
- 211. Superior Sponge Cake Take the weight of ten eggs, in powdered loaf sugar, beat it to a froth with the yelks of twelve eggs, put in the grated rind of a fresh lemon, leaving out the white part - ...
- Trifles
- 219. Sugar Drops Stir to a cream three ounces of butter, six of powdered white sugar - then add three beaten eggs, half a pound of sifted flour, half of a nutmeg. Drop this mixture by the large ...
- Trifles. Continued
- 229. Isinglass Blanc Mange Pull an ounce of mild white isinglass into small pieces -rinse them, and put to them a quart of milk if the weather is hot, and three pints if it is cold weather. Set it ...
- Pies
- 237. Pastry For a good common pie-crust allow half a pound of shortening to a pound of flour. If liked quite short, allow three-quarters of a pound of shortening to a pound of the flour. Pie crust ...
- Pies. Part 2
- 240. Mince Pie The best kind of meat for mince pies is neat's tongue and feet - the shank of beef makes very good pies. Boil the meat till perfectly tender - then take it up, clear it from the bones ...
- Pies. Part 3
- 246. Lemon Pie For one pie, take a couple of good sized fresh lemons, squeeze out the juice, and mix it with half a pint of molasses, or sufficient sugar to make the juice sweet. Chop the peel fine, ...
- Pies. Part 4
- 252. Carrot Pie Scrape the skin off from the carrots, boil them soft, and strain them through a sieve. To a pint of the strained pulp put three pints of milk, six beaten eggs, two table-spoonsful of ...
- Pies. Part 5
- 260. Boiled Custards Put your milk on the fire, and let it boil up - then remove it from the fire, and let it cool. Beat for each quart of the milk, if liked rich, the yelks and half the whites of ...
- Puddings
- 265. Directions For Making Puddings A bag that is used for boiling puddings, should be made of thick cotton cloth. Before the pudding is turned in, the bag should be dipped into water, wrung out, ...
- Puddings. Part 2
- 271. Minute Pudding Put a pint and a half of milk on the fire. Mix five large table-spoonsful of either wheat or rye flour, smoothly, with half a pint of milk, a tea-spoonful of salt, and half of a ...
- Puddings. Part 3
- 278. Rice Pudding, With Eggs Boil a quarter of a pound of unground rice in a quart of milk till soft, then stir in a quarter of a pound of butter - take it from the fire, put in a pint of cold milk, ...
- Puddings. Part 4
- 286. Lemon Pudding Grate the rind of two fresh lemons, being careful not to grate any off the white part. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons, and strain it, to separate it from the seeds. Mix it ...
- Puddings. Part 5
- 293. Plain Fritters Stir a quart of milk gradually into a quart of flour - put in a tea-spoonful of salt, and seven beaten eggs. Drop them by the large spoonful into hot lard, and fry them till a ...
- Sweetmeats
- 303. How To Clarify Syrup For Sweetmeats Put your sugar into the preserving kettle, turn in the quantity of cold water that you think will be sufficient to cover the fruit that is to be preserved in ...
- Sweetmeats. Part 2
- 306. Quince Marmalade Wash and quarter the quinces, without paring them - put them on the fire, with just water enough to stew them in. When soft, rub them through a sieve, and put to each pound of ...
- Sweetmeats. Part 3
- 314. Currants Take the currants when ripe and in their prime - let them remain on the stalks, picking off the bad ones. Make a syrup of sugar, and very little water, allowing a pound of sugar to ...
- Sweetmeats. Part 4
- 320. How To Preserve Apples Apples for preserving should be tart and mellow - pare them, and take out the cores with a small knife. Allow for each pound three-quarters of a pound of sugar, a tea-...
- Sweetmeats. Part 5
- 325. Pumpkin Chips Take what quantity you choose of a good sweet pumpkin, (the butter pumpkin makes the nicest sweetmeats.) Halve the pumpkin, take out the seeds, and cut it into chips of the size ...
- Sweetmeats. Part 6
- 331. Quince Jelly Halve the quinces, and take out the cores. Boil the quinces till very soft, in clear water, mash them, and let them drain through a flannel bag, without squeezing them. Put to the ...
- Cordials
- 346. Grape Wine Bruise the grapes, which should be perfectly ripe. To each gallon of grapes put a gallon of water, and let the whole remain a week, without being stirred. At the end of that time, ...
- Essences
- 354. Sherbet Boil in three pints of water six or eight green stalks of rhubarb, a quarter of a pound of figs or raisins. When the whole has boiled between twenty-five and thirty minutes, strain it, ...
- Perfumery
- 360. Rosewater Gather fragrant, full-blown roses, on a dry day - pick off the leaves, and to each peck of them put a quart of water. Put the whole in a cold still, and set the still on a moderate ...
- Perfumery. Continued
- 370. Arrow Root Custards Boil a pint of milk, and stir into it, while boiling, a table-spoonful of arrow root, mixed smooth, with a little cold milk. Stir it in well, and let the whole boil three or ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery
- 379. How To Renew Old Bread And Cake Fill a bread steamer about half full of water, and lay the dry bread on it, and set it on the fire, where it will steam the bread from halt to three-quarters of ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 2
- 387. How To Keep Eggs Several Months It is a good plan to buy eggs for family use when cheap, and preserve them in the following manner: Mix half a pint of unslaked lime with the same quantity of ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 3
- 392. How To Keep Pickles And Sweetmeats Pickles should be kept in unglazed earthen jars, or wooden kegs. Sweetmeats keep best in glass jars ; unglazed stone pots answer very well for common fruit. A ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 4
- 399. Japanese Cement, Or Rice Glue Mix rice flour with cold water, to a smooth paste, and boil it gently It answers all the purposes of wheat flour paste, while it is far superior in point of ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 5
- 409. How To Remove Block Stains On Scarlet Woollen Goods Mix tartaric with water, to give it a pleasant acid taste, then saturate the black spots with it, taking care not to have it touch the clean ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 6
- 413. Directions For Cleaning Silk Goods When silk cushions, or silk coverings to furniture, become dingy, rub- dry bran on it gently, with a woollen cloth, till clean. Remove grease spots and stains ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 7
- 416. Starch To make good flour starch, mix flour gradually with cold water, so that it may be free from lumps. Stir in cold water till it will pour easily ; then stir it into a pot of boiling water, ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 8
- 419. How To Clean Light Kid Gloves Magnesia, moist bread, and India rubber, are all of them good to clean light kid gloves. They should be rubbed on the gloves thoroughly. If so much soiled that ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 9
- 425. How To Cleanse Feather Beds And Mattresses When feather beds become soiled or heavy, they may be made clean and light by being treated in the following manner: Rub them over with a stiff brush, ...
- Miscellaneous Receipts Relative To Housewifery. Part 10
- 430. How To Remove Or Keep Rust From Cutlery Bristol brick is good to remove rust, and give a polish to steel utensils. It should be powdered tine, and rubbed on dry, with a woollen cloth. Knives ...
- Common Simple Dyes
- 433. How To Dye Black Allow a pound of logwood to each pound of goods that are to be dyed. Soak it over night in soft water, then boil it an hour, and strain the water in which it is boiled. For ...
- How To Make Soap
- 438. Soap From Scraps Dissolve eighteen pounds of potash in three pailsful of water: then add to it twenty-five pounds of grease, and boil it over a slow fire for a couple of hours. Turn it into a ...
- "Meet Cuts" Charts
- Beef Cuts Hind Quarter. Fore Quarter. 1. Sirloin. 11. Middle Rib; Four Ribs. 2. Rump. 12. Chuck; Three Ribs. 3. Edgebone. 13. Shoulder or Leg of Mutton Piece. 4. Buttock 5. Mouse Buttock. 14. ...
- The Whole Art Of Carving
- Preliminary Remarks. The carving knife should be light, of middling size, and of a fine edge. Strength is less required than skill in the manner of using it; and to facilitate this, the butcher shoul...
- The Whole Art Of Carving. Part 2
- 5. Roasted Breast Of Veal Cut to the left on the first line d, c; then cross from c to the most distant a. The lines a, d, a, d, etc, represent the directions in which the brisket, or gristly part ...
- The Whole Art Of Carving. Part 3
- 12. Fore Quarter Of Lamb Separate the shoulder from the breast and ribs, by passing the knife under, in the direction of a, b, c, and d. Be careful to keep it towards you horizontally, to prevent c...
- The Whole Art Of Carving. Part 4
- 20. Partridge This bird is cut up in the same way as a fowl. The best parts are the wings, breast, and merry-thought; but the bird being small, the two latter are not often divided. The wing is con...