BEST FOODS METHODS OF PREPARING. 155 



smoothly in a little cold water, with a teaspoonful of salt 

 and some pepper, and stir it into the soup, letting it boil 

 two or three minutes longer. The meat should be placed 

 on a platter, in this instance, and the soup and vegeta- 

 bles poured into a tureen. 



Oyster Soup. Put the oysters, with their own liquor, 

 in the soup kettle, with butter, salt, and pepper in pro- 

 portion with the quantity of soup to be made. When 

 they begin to bubble, pour boiling milk and water over 

 them, and let the soup simmer for ten minutes. 



Seasonings for Soups. The best kind of pepper to use 

 for soups, or nearly everything else in which pepper is 

 used, is pure Cayenne, which is a tonic in itself ; and 

 next to Cayenne, the white pepper, which even a country 

 house-keeper can obtain if she will keep it in her mind 

 when she does her next town shopping. It is rarely sold 

 in country stores. Celery-salt is another excellent item 

 to remember ; while parsley, onions, and salsify can be 

 kept always at hand. 



SALADS. 



Salads are appetizing, wholesome, and refreshing. Be- 

 sides, they cost next to nothing. But are they not almost 

 as rare in the country as Bavarian creams and soups ? 



Simple salads can be made by every one. If of vegeta- 

 bles, they should always be placed on the table freshly 

 made ; and it takes but an extra minute to arrange them 

 in pretty form. 



Plain Dressing for Salads. Beat the yolks of three 

 eggs with five tablespoonfuls of good vinegar, a table- 

 spoonful of sugar, and a teaspoonful of mixed mustard. 

 Add a little salt, a bit of butter, or, if liked, a tablespoon- 

 ful of olive oil, and stir all together in a saucepan over 

 the fire, until a smooth dressing is formed of the consis- 



