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TEN DOLLARS ENOUGH

    KEEPING HOUSE WELL ON TEN DOLLARS
    A WEEK; HOW IT HAS BEEN DONE;
    HOW IT MAY BE DONE AGAIN


    BY
    CATHERINE OWEN

[Illustration]

    BOSTON AND NEW YORK
    HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY
    The Riverside Press, Cambridge
    1888




    Copyright, 1886,
    BY HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.

    _All rights reserved._


    SEVENTH EDITION.


    _The Riverside Press, Cambridge_:
    Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton & Co.




PREFACE.


The success of “Ten Dollars Enough,” as it appeared serially in the
pages of “Good Housekeeping,” and the numerous letters received by the
editor of that magazine asking for it in more convenient shape, has led
to its publication in its present form.

It is very pleasant to learn from these same letters that the writers
have tried Molly’s recipes with such success, there being, I am assured
by the same gentleman, but two exceptions (and one of these candidly
says the fault might be her own) among the large number who expressed
satisfaction.

This testimony is especially gratifying, showing, as it does, how
earnest and faithful my readers have been; for, although the directions
were minutely given and every effort made to meet difficulties, all
_my_ care would not have sufficed to produce success, had there not
been faithful coöperation on the part of those who followed them. I
take this opportunity to make clear two matters which, I found early in
the course of the story, were lost sight of by two or three readers,
perhaps others.

I allude to the prices of provisions and the amount of cooking
accomplished in a given time.

To those who questioned the cost of articles I would say: they forgot,
reading in _December_, when they were doubtless paying higher prices,
that the prices quoted were for _September_. To another who quotes the
high price _she_ has to pay for certain things, I only say: Molly was
keeping house with some luxury, on the same amount of table-money as
many require to live very plainly. This could not be done except by
buying everything only in its season; if beyond a certain price, she
waited for it to get lower.

This brings me to what is after all the gist of the matter. “Ten
Dollars Enough” was intended for readers in widely different parts of
the country. It would have readers where the meat and poultry prices
would seem very high, and the groceries equally low. I therefore
decided to take average New York retail prices and not to go below them.

There may be cities and suburbs where the prices are higher than in New
York, but in my experience these are few compared with the many where
they are lower.

As to the question of time, Molly is not represented as an
inexperienced young wife, but as a graduate of cooking-schools, who
could herself have joined the corps of culinary teachers had it been
necessary.

Her expertness had not come without many failures, and the readers of
“Ten Dollars Enough” were invited to profit by the finished result of
her failures and experiments. Because she had often failed before she
succeeded, she was able to avert failure from Marta or others.

Bearing in mind, then, that Molly knew precisely what to do and how to
do it, it will be readily seen that her most elaborate dinner was very
simple indeed, compared with the _ménu_ prepared by one lady and her
assistant at any first-rate cooking demonstration, in the same space of
time.

                                                     CATHERINE OWEN.




CONTENTS.


  CHAPTER I.

  Mr. and Mrs. Bishop try the Experiment                          1


  CHAPTER II.

  At Home                                                         7


  CHAPTER III.

  Molly’s First Bill of Fare                                     19


  CHAPTER IV.

  Bread-Making—Breakfast—Baked Potatoes—Corn Muffins—Breaded
      Chops—How to fry                                           30


  CHAPTER V.

  How to manage the Fat that has been used for frying—Cup
      Cake                                                       37


  CHAPTER VI.

  What “Simmering” means                                         40


  CHAPTER VII.

  Molly and Mrs. Lennox—Economical Buying makes Good Living      52


  CHAPTER VIII.

  Beef Pot-Pie—Leg of Mutton—Two Roasts—Several Wholesome
      Economical Dishes                                          58


  CHAPTER IX.

  Veal Cutlets, Breaded                                          63


  CHAPTER X.

  Details of Molly’s Management—Recipes                          70


  CHAPTER XI.

  What to do with a Soup-Bone                                    79


  CHAPTER XII.

  Molly and Mrs. Lennox on the Ruffle Question—Fricassee of
      Mutton—Cabbage again                                       86


  CHAPTER XIII.

  Preparing to save Work—Brown Thickening—White
      Thickening—Caramel                                         93


  CHAPTER XIV.

  Marketing—Apple Pudding—Liver and Bacon—Braised
      Beef—Boiling Puddings                                      95


  CHAPTER XV.

  Rolls—Baked Liver—Croquettes—What was the Matter with
      them—Hotch-Potch                                          100


  CHAPTER XVI.

  Rye Bread—Oyster Patties—Knuckle of Veal, à la Maître
      d’Hôtel—A Savory Dish                                     106


  CHAPTER XVII.

  Mr. and Mrs. Bishop become Members of a Dramatic
      Club—Croquettes over again—Where the Mistake
      lay—White Soup                                            111


  CHAPTER XVIII.

  Broiled Lamb’s Kidneys—Mrs. Lennox startled—Corn-Beef
      Hash                                                      117

  CHAPTER XIX.

  Summary—Lamb’s Heart—Flounders—Corned Beef—Cannelon of
      Beef                                                      124


  CHAPTER XX.

  Preparing a Chicken—Giblets—Spoilt Bread                      130


  CHAPTER XXI.

  To make a Fowl Tender as Spring Chicken                       136


  CHAPTER XXII.

  Dollars and Cents                                             138


  CHAPTER XXIII.

  Chiefly Social—Mrs. Framley’s Opinions                        145


  CHAPTER XXIV.

  A very Plain Pudding—How to cook Odds and Ends—Bills of
      Fare for a Week                                           149


  CHAPTER XXV.

  Marta’s Noodles—Braised Beef—How to adapt one’s
      Materials—Polka Pudding and Sauce                         154


  CHAPTER XXVI.

  Fried Potatoes—Polka Sauce—Clearing Gravy of Fat—A Variety
      of Cakes from One Recipe                                  161


  CHAPTER XXVII.

  Candied Lemon-Peel—To whip Cream Solid—Iced Cream
      Coffee—Madeleine Cake—Potato Balls                        166


  CHAPTER XXVIII.

  Fricasseed Chicken—Lemon Honey—French Icing to keep           172

  CHAPTER XXIX.

  Boiled Custard—Frozen Bananas—Uses of French
      Icing—Scalloped Potatoes—Hollandaise Sauce—Roast
      Oysters—Unexpected Visitors                               176


  CHAPTER XXX.

  Hominy Muffins—Fish Balls—Royal Custard—“Consommé à la
      Royale”—Fricassee Sweetbreads—Vanilla Soufflé             189


  CHAPTER XXXI.

  A Surprise—A Boiled Dinner—Dresden Patties—Oysters and
      Brown Butter—“Old English” Fritters                       196


  CHAPTER XXXII.

  Veal and Ham Pie—Beefsteak Pudding—Trifle                     205


  CHAPTER XXXIII.

  Town versus Country—The Servant Question                      214


  CHAPTER XXXIV.

  Ox-Tail Soup—Grisini—Stewed Lamb and Peas—Méringues with
      Cream                                                     219


  CHAPTER XXXV.

  Macaroons—Jumbles—Genoese Tablettes—Irish Stew                225


  CHAPTER XXXVI.

  To boil and prepare Lobsters—Sandwiches—Clearing
      Soup—Omelet Soufflé                                       234


  CHAPTER XXXVII.

  Gâteau de Riz—French Rice Cake—Preparing Calf’s
      Head—Mock-Turtle Soup—More Noodles—Pigeon Pie             241


  CHAPTER XXXVIII.

  One More Use for Soup Meat—Stewed Calf’s Tongue—Brains,
      au Beurre Noir (Brown Butter)—Calf’s Head—Hollandaise
      Sauce—Calf’s Head en Tortue                               248

  CHAPTER XXXIX.

  Ideas and Suggestions on several Subjects                     252


  CHAPTER XL.

  English Muffins and Crumpets—Pickling and curing—Roast
      Beef-Heart—Soused Mackerel                                259


  CHAPTER XLI.

  The Baby—Conclusion                                           269




TEN DOLLARS ENOUGH.




CHAPTER I.

MR. AND MRS. BISHOP TRY THE EXPERIMENT.


“BEEF steak, cod steak, mutton chop, and hash!”

This