VINTAGE RECIPES

[Welland Telegraph November 1900]

Baked Cauliflower

A good firm head should be soaked in slightly salted cold water for at least an hour. It is then drained, put in a saucepan with boiling water, salted again and simmered gently for fifteen minutes. Drain once more. and separate the cauliflower into flowerets, putting the pieces in a baking dish with a little boiling milk, butter and seasoning of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the top with cracker or bread crumbs, and put in the oven long enough to brown.

Tie a cleaned trout in a cheesecloth; place in fish kettle, cover with boiling water, quarter cup of vinegar, half pound salt pork, four cloves, half bayleaf, eight peppercorns, six sprigs parsley, small bunch thyme and sweet marjoram, one onion and two teaspoonfuls salt. Cook twelve minutes to the pound. Drain arrange on hot platter and spread inside and out with cucumber pulp seasoned with pepper, salt and lemon juice. Garnish with sliced lemon and sliced cucumbers

Mix one pint of sifted flour, one level teaspoonful salt and four level teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Chop in two level teaspoonfuls of lard and two of butter till fine, then wet with milk to a stiff dough. Toss on a  floured board, roll out to the size of the dish, grease the edge of the dish and over with the paste, pressing it well against the side of the dish. Make a deep  cross in the centre, turn back the edges, insert a cone of stiff white paper well buttered and bake about forty minutes.

Mix one pint of stewed tomatoes with quarter of a cupful of bread crumbs; add one tablespoonful of finely chopped onion, one teaspoon of sugar, half a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper; pour into a buttered baking dish. Beat four eggs, add a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of sugar and a cup and half of milk. Stir  over hot water till thickened very slightly pour over the tomato mixture and bake in a slow oven until set, about three quarters of an hour.

Make a cream sauce from one tablespoonful of flour, two tablespoonsful of butter and one cupful cream or milk and season to taste with salt and cayenne. Boil up once and remove from the fire. Beat the yolks of three eggs lightly and add to the cream sauce; also half a cupful of grated cheese. Slice six boiled potatoes (freshly boiled preferred). Into a baking dish put a layer of potatoes and sauce alternately until the dish is full. Have a last layer sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a quick oven ten minutes, or until nicely browned. Serve in the baking dish.

Wash and dry the pumpkin. Remove the seed and soft inside. Grate without peeling on a moderately fine grater. To each cup of the grated pumpkin add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg well beaten, one tablespoon molasses, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of salt and one coffee cup rich milk. Line deep pie plates with rich paste, fill two-thirds full of the custard, and bake in a moderate oven for one and one-half hours.

Mix together one teaspoonful baking powder, one saltspoonful of salt, two cupfuls of flour, one egg beaten light with one quarter cupful of sugar, three quarters cupful of milk and flour to make a stiff batter. Drop by the spoonful into hot fat and fry to a golden brown, keeping them turning constantly. These are excellent made without sugar and served with hot maple syrup.

Soak half a box of gelatine in half a cup of cold water for half an hour; dissolve in two cups of boiling water, add a cup of sugar, half a cup of lemon juice, a teaspoon of orange extract and strain. Turn out and fill the centre with rich cream, whipped sweetened and flavored wit vanilla. Garnish at the base with lemons sliced in thin rounds.