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THE PHILADELPHIA HOUSEWIFE,

Or,

Family Receipt Book.

by

AUNT MARY.







[Illustration]

Philadelphia:
J. B. Lippincott & Co.
1855.


Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1855,
By J. P. Lippincott & Co.,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court, in and for the
Eastern District of Pennsylvania.




PREFACE.


As the health of a family depends more upon the quality of their
food than upon any other cause whatever, it is a public benefaction
to give good advice upon this subject. That this advice may be most
widely beneficial, it should have reference to the material and the
preparation of food; and in both these respects, regard should be had
to economy. The rich, who are able to provide the most choice and
expensive articles of diet, frequently fail in having them prepared
for the table in an agreeable and healthful manner; and the poor, and
even those in moderate circumstances, are not only not generally well
informed as to healthful and nutritious articles of food, which may be
purchased at moderate expense, but when procured, they more generally
err in the healthful preparation of them, mistaking high seasoning and
rich mixtures for delicious and wholesome food. It is to aid the family
in procuring and preparing their food according to their means, and
with a view to elegance, taste, and health, that the authoress of this
book has been induced to publish these receipts and the accompanying
advice and reflections. She does this at the solicitation of many heads
of families, and with the confidence of knowledge founded on long
personal experience. This is the only source of reliable knowledge on
the subject of procuring and preparing healthful food, in good taste,
and with elegance and economy.

But proper materials may be obtained for food, and the cook may
understand how to prepare them; yet she will fail if she does not have
the kitchen furnished with proper articles for culinary purposes. Each
of these articles should be kept in its proper place, and scrupulously
clean, while every thing should be done with exactness, and at the
proper time.

The authoress has the greatest confidence that the circulation of this
book will promote elegance and comfort in wealthy families, and economy
and health in families of moderate means.




THE

FAMILY RECEIPT BOOK.


TO PREPARE AND TO SELECT BEEF, MUTTON, LAMB, VEAL, AND BACON.

White meats, such as veal, mutton, and lamb, should be washed as
quickly as possible, or the juices of the meat will be extracted by
the water. Fresh beef should never be washed, but well scraped with a
clean knife twice over; any soiled parts which cannot be scraped must
be cut off. If the bones are soiled, saw off the part with the meat
saw. Salted meat should be well washed in three or four waters, and
soaked at least fifteen minutes in cold water, before putting it down
to boil. The pot should be filled with cold water, and boil slowly till
done, according to the size of the meat, or allow a quarter of an hour
for every pound of the meat; quick boiling will make the meat hard and
insipid. Be careful that it does not stop boiling, or the meat will be
injured; remove the scum frequently. People are not generally aware of
the injurious effects from eating the flesh of diseased animals. It
has been my practice to choose beef from the whiteness of the fat, and
always object to it if a dark shade of yellow; let the fat be clear
and thick, and the beef smooth and close; if otherwise, it is old. The
flesh of a young ox should be a good red, and have a smooth and open
grain, and feel tender. Pork may be judged by the thinness of the skin,
and by pinching the lean; if young, it will break. When clammy, it is
not fit for use. Fresh pork will be always cool and smooth. The fat of
mutton should be white and firm, and the lean a good colour. If the
vein in the neck of lamb has a greenish cast, it is stale: it should be
of a bluish hue.

BACON.--The lean should be of a good colour, and tender, and firm on
the bone, the fat should be firm and of a red tinge, and the rind thin.
Try a ham by putting a sharp knife in under the bone. If the smell
is agreeable, the ham is good; if otherwise, and the knife soiled,
reject it. Veal,--The whitest is the most juicy, having been made so
by frequent bleeding: the flesh of a bull calf is firmest, but of a
darker colour. Old and diseased meat will shrink very much in cooking.
Hams and tongues, if they are old and hard, should be put to soak in
warm water the night before they are boiled. A large ham will take from
four to six hours to boil, and a tongue will take nearly as long. They
should be kept constantly boiling, and well skimmed: put them down in
plenty of cold water. Fish should always be boiled in hot water with a
little salt in it: let them boil slowly.

Wild fowls do not require as much cooking as tame. They should be done
before a brisk fire, and be constantly basted. Wild ducks will cook
sufficiently in a quarter of an hour; pheasants in twenty minutes. A
large turkey will take from two hours and a half to three hours. Hen
turkeys are the best for boiling. The time will depend on the size: if
a large one, it will take two hours and a half, and should be boiled
in a cloth. All meats when roasting should be put some distance from
the fire, and brought gradually nearer; the more they are turned and
basted, the more juicy they will be. Vegetables should be freshly
gathered; they are much sweeter and more healthy, if cooked as soon as
taken out of the ground. When potatoes are to be fried, throw them in
water with plenty of ice in it after slicing. This will make them crisp.


BEEF SOUP, THIN.

Wash and scrape well a shin of beef, put it down early in the morning
in plenty of cold water, with a piece of veal, and a small piece