THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MARCH 39 
Jlomrstir (Eronontg. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
SOME NEW COOK BOOKS. 
MAKY WAOER-FI8HER. 
Was there ever before, in the history of the 
world, such a mania as now for writing books 
on cooking ? How mauy new ones have been 
published within the past ten years—or five— 
I cannot say : but a good many. I have five 
at my elbow as I write, each one excellent in 
its way, and the author of each claiming for it 
a specific superiority over all the others. The 
copy I have of Miss Leslie’s “Standard Cook¬ 
ery.” published nine years ago. was then in its 
sixtieth edition! Her cookery is somewhat 
complex—too elaborate for plain cooks—but 
very good aud reliable. Professor Blot's 
“Hand-Book of Practical Cookery for Ladies 
and Professional Cooks," is still more com¬ 
plex. and, as might be expected, contains very 
much that is foreign to American cookery ; but 
for soups and for novel and palatable ways of 
using up “odds and ends” of meats, etc., it is 
excellent. 
Mrs. Trowbridge’s “Cook Book and House¬ 
keeper’s Aid.” opens with a list of rules for 
housekeepers, that are alone of great use. They 
treat of buying groceries, a lesson which every 
inexperienced housewife appreciates: tell 
how to care for household supplies, and give 
a multitude of recipes for the “hundred and 
one” things that oue likes to know about, and 
which do not appertain to the domain of cook¬ 
ery. Her recipes for cookery are of the plain¬ 
est description and the briefest, rather too 
much so insome essentials. Marion Harland’s 
“Dinner Year Book,” containing a bill-of-fare 
for twenty-eight dinners for each month in the 
year—SS6 dinners—with instructions as to how 
to prepare each article, is a voluminous book 
of seven hundred pages, with a number of col¬ 
ored lithographic plates. She writes an amus¬ 
ing preface, which is followed by an article 
“ Touching on Saucepans,” that abounds in 
bright snggestives. 
A little later comes Mrs. Whitney's “ Just 
How; a Key to the Cook Books.” While Ma¬ 
rion Harland prepared her “Dinner Year 
Book” for the convenience of such persons as 
are always worried with the Wbat-shall-we- 
have-for-Dinner?" question, Mrs. Whitney 
writes her’s for the sake of furnishing most 
explicit directions—putting in what other 
cook-book makers leave out. For instance, 
instead of the ordinary direction. “ add Hour 
sufficient to make” a dough or batter, she gives 
the exact amount, leaving nothing to guess¬ 
work- Her book is a small affiir, of scarcely 
more than three huudred pages, looking even 
smaller, 60 compact it is and eouveuieut to 
handle, although the type is large and clear. 
It is admirably practical, abounding iu excel¬ 
lent directions. I have looked it through care¬ 
fully, aud find nothing J^feol like criticizing 
but her method of boiling eggs, except for real¬ 
ly hard boiling—as au egg for ordinary eat¬ 
ing should never be baited, but only reiouiu 
from three to seven miuutcs (according to one’s 
taste for hardness) in very hot water that does 
not boil. 
Perhaps a recipe from each hook will best 
convey an idea of their respective merits. Here 
is one of Mrs. Whitney’s directions for “Milk- 
Dipped Toast.” Make ready: Fire, and sliced 
bread, say a dozen slices cut smoothly, evenly 
and a quarter of an iuch thick; one quart of 
milk scalded in au iuncr boiler; three round 
teaspooufuls of flour, or two very heaping of 
corn-starch mixed with cold milk put to it by 
the teaspoonful till smooth and thin; oue tea¬ 
cupful of broken butter; one round teaspoon¬ 
ful of salt; a clean spider. Set the spider on 
the fire; pour the scalded milk into it as the 
spider becomes hot; let it come to a boil; stir 
iu the flour-tbickening ; pour it into the middle, 
stirring it round steadily and smoothly till all 
is thickened. Be sure the milk is boiling when 
you add the thickening, aud that it boils up, 
cooking the flour before you leave off stirring. 
Now put iu your batter, stirring smoothly 
again till it is melted and united, without oili¬ 
ness, to the thickened milk. Add the salt. 
Let all your stirring be done geutly, and un¬ 
derneath, in spreading circles from the middle, 
holding your spoou horizontally, with the back 
of the bowl slightly touching the spider. Set 
the spider on the buck of the stove, or the top 
of a hot kettle, while you toast your bread. 
Dip each slice of toast, as ready ; turn andsoak 
it, then pile in toast dish. Pour the remainder 
of the dressing over the whole. I prefer to 
keep the toast slices in the “ dip ” over the fire, 
as loDg as may be without their breaking to 
pieces .If they get a bit of a boil, it is no harm. 
Slide each piece under the preceding ones, until 
you have a« mauy in the spider as you can man¬ 
age, then lay them in the dish for table. A 
griddle spade is nice to take them up with 
when they arc very tender." 
It should be meutioued, that in a set of rules, 
she explains what she means by “ broken but¬ 
ter,” V round teaspoonful," etc. 
Here is one of Marion Harlaud's “Dinners.” 
It is for Thursday, first week in April: 
Chicken Soup. 
Mayonaise of Fish. Veal Chops with Toma¬ 
to Sauce, 
Potato Strips. Macaroni and Eggs. 
Jelly Cake Fritters. 
Chicken Soap. 
Take the fat from the top ot the liquor in 
which your chickeu was boiled yesterday, and 
put on the soup to heat. Meanwhile, boil half 
a cupful of rice tender in a pint of salted milk ; 
and when the rice i6 soft, stir in a tablespoon¬ 
ful of butter worked in flour to prevent oiling. 
When the soup boils up clear, skim and add 
the rice aud milk, with two tablespoonfuls of 
minced parsley. Pepper and salt to taste: 
simmer ten minutes; chop up three hard-boiled 
eggs fine; put into the tureen and pour the 
soup upon them. 
Mayonaise of Fish. 
Yelks of three eggs; two tablespoonfuls of 
best oil; two teaspoonfuls of sugar; six table- 
spoonfuls of vinegar; oue tcaspoonful of salt, 
aud half as much each of pepper aud made 
mustard; white of one raw egg; two cupfuls 
of cold boiled fish (yesterday’s cod) ; two heads 
of lettuce. Rub the yelks smooth with the oil, 
add sugar, salt, pepper, aud mustard, and, 
when all are mixed, the vinegar, a little at a 
time. Set by, covered, while you cut—not 
chop—the fish into strips an inch long, and 
shred the lettuce. Mix these iu a bowl. Whip 
the frothed white of egg into the dressing, 
aud pour upon the salad. Stir up with a silver 
fork aud put iuto a glass dish. Garnish with 
rings of the whites of boiled eggs. 
Veal Chops with Tomato Sauce. 
Trim aud flatten the chops. Dip in raw egg, 
then in cracker dust, and fry, rather slowly, 
in lard or dripping. Open a can of tomatoes, 
aud drain oil the Liquor. Salt the rest of the 
tomatoes and reserve for Friday’s soup. Put 
the liquor into a sauce pan with a sliced onion 
and stew ten minutes. Strain out the onion, 
return the juice, to the fire; thicken with a 
great spoonful of butter, worked up in a tea¬ 
spoonful of corn starch; pepper aud salt. 
Boil up sharply, and when you have laid the 
chops upon the dish, pour the sauce over them. 
M*carom w.th Eggs. 
Break half a pound of macaroni into short 
bits ; cook tender iu boiling, salted water. 
Drain well; put iuto a deep dish aud pour 
over it. a cupful of drawn butter iu which have 
beeu stirred two beaten eggs, aud two table- 
spooufuls of grated cheese, with suit, aud pep¬ 
per. Loosen the macaroni to allow the sauce 
to penetrate the mass. Pass more grated 
cheese with it. 
Potato Strips 
Pare, cut iu long, even strips; lay in cold 
water for one hour; dry by spreading them 
upon a towel aud pressing another upon them. 
Fry to a light-brown iu sailed lard. Shake oil 
the fat iu a hot colander. Liue a deep dish 
with a napkin and put iu the strips. They 
should not be crowded iu frying, but each 
should be distinct aud free from the rest. 
Jeliy-OaKe Fritters. 
Cut a stale sponge or very plain cake into 
rounds with a cake-cutter. Fry to a nice browu 
iu sweet lard. Dip each rouud iu boiling milk, 
to softcu it aud get rid oi the grease. Lay 
upon a hot dish and spread with sweet jelly or 
jam. Pile neatly one upon another, send 
around hot, sweetened cream to pour over 
them. 
Fixing over “yestorday’6 leavings" is one 
peculiarity of the Dinner Year Book—the au¬ 
thor, having, it would seem, followed home 
dinuers in the series she here gives. I thiuk 
Mrs. Whitney's recipes are perhaps more 
wholesome—if oue is dyspeptic—Uiau are those 
of Marion liarlaud, aud may l>e a trifle less 
toothsome. Mrs. WLituey makes no pretence 
at competing with more comprehensive cook 
books, but it is at the same time quite com¬ 
plete enough for the ordinary housewife. It is 
cheap in price—oue dollar—and is published 
by Houghton, Osgood & Co., Boston. “The 
Diuuer Year Book ’ is, as I have remarked, an 
elaborate all Air, admirably and satisfactorily 
gotten up, and costs $2 25, It is published by 
Charles Scribner's Sous, New York. 
Bryn Mawr, near- Phlla. 
-♦ 
SCRAP-JARS, AND WORK-BASKETS. 
One of the most useful articles a lady can 
have, is a scrap-jar to staud by her sewing 
chair or writing table. Mine is a two-gallon 
pickle-jar that had been put among rubbish, 
because so badly cracked as to be unfit for 
lioldiug liquids. A coat of brown paint aud 
pictures brightened it up. so that the ouce 
worthless jar is uow au ornament. The pic¬ 
tures are put ou with wheal-flour paste, cooked 
until smooth. My scrap-jur is as eouveuieut 
as au editor's “ waste basket,” as it saves time 
aud steps wheu there are bits of paper or 
cloth to dispose of. The jar should be smaller 
at the top thau at the bottom, so that the con¬ 
tents canuot be seen. When full, it can be 
emptied into the paper-rag bag, which is us¬ 
ually found in country homes. 
A common peach-basket makes a neat and 
substantial work-basket. It should have a 
wire. bail. Cover the outside of the basket- 
and line it, also, with some bright-colored cam¬ 
bric. Wind the handle with braid to match, 
aud cover the upper edge of the basket, with 
plaited braid to conceal the stitches. Small 
pockets of cambric may be sewed to the lining 
—on oue side, or both—for holding small ar¬ 
ticles. like buttons and spools. Each pocket 
should have a piece of clastic cord drawn in¬ 
to the upper bem to keep it in shape. 
To make a standing basket for work; take 
two peach baskets of the same size, invert 
one, and set the other upou it- Cover the two 
with cloth in one piece, aud tie braid arouud 
where the baskets come together. Draw the 
braid tightly and tie. giving the shape of an 
hour-glass. The upper basket can be finished 
like the. one first described. The lower basket 
is merely a stand for the upper one. 
Lyons, Iowa. m. g. r. 
-♦- 
AN EXCELLENT RECIPE FOR REMOVING 
DANDRUFF. 
A well known physician tells us that there 
is nothing better for the above purpose than 
the following preparation : To one pint of 
alcohol add gum-camphor as large as a small 
hickory-nut. This, so to speak, merely cam- 
phorizes the alcohol. Bergamot, or oil of rose, 
or auy other essence, may be used to perfume 
it as the individual desires. Wet the scalp 
with this daily. It will also be found a stimu¬ 
lant of the scalp ; a promoter of the growth 
of the hair and will, iu many instances, pre¬ 
vent it from falling out. 
--»«■ ♦ 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
To Fiy Salt Pork. 
Cut iuto very thiu slices and freshen by 
letting lie for an hour or more in cold milk or 
water. Roll in flour and fry until crisp. Drain 
from the fut and place the slices where they 
will keep warm. Pour off most of the fat 
from the frying-pan and stir in, while hot, a 
tablespoonful of flour—a little more may be 
added if the gravy be liked thick—and half a 
pint of new milk. Season with pepper and 
salt if not suit enough. Boil up and serve 
with the crisped pork. 
H .m Balls. 
Mince very fine cold, cooked ham—that 
vouch has beeu boiled is best, although fried 
hum will answer if not too salt—add an egg 
for each person ; stir in a little flour and make 
into balls. Dip imo egg aud theu iu grated 
bread aud fry until of a nice brown. 
_ Mary B. 
Canning Rhubarb. 
Permit me to tell the readers of the Rural 
how to can rhubarb—pie-plant—as I have nev¬ 
er seeu it among the recipes given: Prepare 
same as for pies and pack into glass cans, 
covering with cold water, taking care to get 
all the air out, and then put the cover on as 
tightly as possible. I have just used some 
which kept nicely, being nearly as fresh as 
new though uol quite so sour, as some of the 
sourness souks out in the water, which of 
course is not used. The pies are made the 
same as from fresh pie-plant. 
Mrs. W. W. Hunt. 
Irune Pudding. 
Take one pound of good prunes and let 
swell in hot water until soft; drain and take 
out the stones; spread on a dish and dredge 
with flour; mix smooth iu a very little milk 
eight tablespoopfuls of sifted flour; add a scant 
quart of milk auil six well-beaten eggs ; stir in 
the prunes by degrees; beat the whole very 
hard; pour iuto a mold and boil two hours; 
serve with wine sauce. Mary B. 
Mail ard. 
We find that all do not know that if mustard 
be mixed with the white of an egg instead of 
water or vinegar when used for plasters, it 
will prevent the skin from blistering, e. m. 
JUlus of fljc (Merit. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Monday, March 24 th, 1879. 
Conspicuous In the list of deaths this week have 
been Thomas W. Sherman, major-general of the 
United States army cousin of W. T. Sher¬ 
man, at Newport, R. I., of which lie has long been 
a resident, and where his wife died umy a rew 
days ago; GenGeorge c. Poster or Burlington, 
Yt., who served with distinction with a Vermont 
brigade lu the civil war; Dr. John M. Woodworth, 
surgeon-general of the United State's marine hos¬ 
pital service at Washington ; Rev, James De Koven, 
dean ol Racine (Wls.) college and a native ol 
Middleton, Ct.; and ex-United States Senator 
George Goldthwalte of Alabama a native or Boston. 
Now comes another speedy- cure for hog cholera— 
warranted effectual, cheap, and easily tiled with¬ 
out tumble or outlay. It is burnt corn, aud the 
best way to use It Is to make a pile of corn on the 
cobs, effectually scorch It, and then give the af¬ 
fected hogs D ee access to it. After the second day 
not a single hog, It is said, will be lost, and the 
disease will entirely disappear. The remedy is 
reported to have been t tied lu a number of cases 
and never to have tailed. 
'there is quite a secession spirit In Missouri just 
now. Kansas City has been making a stong 
effort to get the Stole line fixed so as to be include- 
•d In tbe territory ol Kansas, and St Louis Is talk- 
lug about getting bcrsell annexed to Illinois. A 
member ol the Legislature has also Introduced a 
bill to split the state Into a North and south Mis¬ 
souri. The President has reached an Inter¬ 
esting decision In the matter ol the charges filed 
against each other by Gens Hazen and Stontley 
who for years have caused a world or scandal by 
their quarreling and charges and conn tor-charges 
ol cowardice, imgentlemany conduct etc, etc; 
lie has ordered a court martial with Hancock 
president and with Gens. Pope and Augur and 
other members to meet in Washington to try both 
Hazen and Stanley. 
The extra session or Congress has assembled. 
Randall of Penn has been elected speaker badly 
defeating Blackburn of Ky., his Democratic com¬ 
petitor. The Green backers had no show: and 
the Republicans of course had no chance. With 
the election of Randall the State division ol the 
honors of that position since the organization of 
Congress has been as follows: Southern states— 
Kentucky. 9 times; Virginia,’; North Carolina, 
3; Tennessee, a; South Carolina, l; Georgia, l. 
Northern States—Massachusetts, 5 times; Penn¬ 
sylvania 5.H ; Indiana, 4>;; New Jersey. 3; Maine, 
3; New Yorx, 1; Connecticut, l. Which loots 
up. Southern Speakers, 23; Northern do., 23. 
The grind prize ol the French academy lor poet¬ 
ry lm* been adjudged to the communist refugee 
Renard, now a professor lu Louisiana; professor ol 
what-dancing, cookery, fiddling or teaching—is 
not reported; but we learn that New Orleans rolks 
are curious to know who or what he Is. Kansas 
counts on even a heavier Immigration than she 
had last year. One day last week 2fi00 new-comers 
from the East arrived at Kansas City, Mo., en 
route, and this week the railroads centering there 
were notified to prepare lor 10,000 more, chiefly 
from the Middle states. The reduction of the 
tobacco tax one-third was to give the poor man— 
cigars are not affected—cheap tobacco. 11 the 
manufacturers can keep the price up. as they have 
resolved at New York, a single firm, the Lorillard, 
win make $1,000,000 and the rest ratably. Mean¬ 
while, the public revenue has lost $ 8 , 000.000 yearly. 
North Carolina has about one dog to every three 
sheep, and 28,000 of the latter were destroyed last 
year by the canines. The farmers want to know 
If the slaughter can’t be stopped. United States 
officers report that there Ls less lawlessness on the 
Rio Grande border than at any time for the last 10 
years. 1 he Mexican authorities are making every 
effort to maintain good order, and have removed 
the Llpan aud other marauding Indians to the in¬ 
terior, where they will have no chance to make It 
unsate lor 1 exan llle and property, 
1 he Kansas charge against Senator Ingalls ls 
that he bought thirteen members of the legislature 
to vote for him. The feature iu Wall street has 
been the advance In the rates for money. The 
call-loan rate a week ago was 3 to t per cent; it ls 
now fully 6 per cent and .the tendency Is still up¬ 
ward. The banks have been depleted or legal- 
tender notes by the payments Into the Treasury on 
account of 4 per cent bonds, and tbe reserve In ex¬ 
cess of the 25 per cent required by law has fallen 
to $3,840,000, or to less than one fourth of what It 
was a year ago. As this low reserve comes just at 
t he beglnulug ot the usual outflow of currency for 
the A pill settlements there ls some uneasiness about 
the working of the money market, and (he Secretary 
of the Treasury has thought It necessary to publish 
a letter assuring the public that he will exert the 
full power of the Treasury to prevent “tight 
money.” Money in London Is down to 2 per cent., and 
rates are unusually low at every European city. 
Sterling exchange was uear to the gold exporting 
pointunilllatein tbe week, when on account of 
higher rates for money It fell off. Subscriptions 
to the 4 per cents continue on a moderate scale, 
but another $to,ouo,oot) of 5.20 6 per cents have been 
notified lor redemption, making $270,000,000 of tbe 
debt on which the annual Interest has been re¬ 
duced one-third since January l. Silver has taken 
another tumble In London irom to 49.'„d per 
oz , tbe latter being the lowest price since remone¬ 
tization In this country. The bullion value of the 
412 -., grain silver dollar at the close of the week 
was $n 8295. 
in the Senate of nineteen chairmanships of dif¬ 
ferent. committees, the South take twelve and the 
North seven. In tnat. body tliere are 19 ex-con¬ 
federate and only four Union officers, as follows: 
Ex-confederates, Morgan, Garland, Walker, Call, 
Cockrell, vest. Uansont, Vance, Withers, Johnston, 
Gordon, Williams, Jones, Lamar, Butler, Hamp¬ 
ton, Harris, coke, Maxey. Ex-federal olllcers— 
Logan, Plumb, Burnside, Kellogg. 
FOREIGN. 
Lord Dufferin lias been sent as ambassador to 
St Petersburg, and excused himself In his usual 
graceful fashion, at a diuuer given him by the 
Liberals at the Reform club, for taking service 
under a Tory Government by saying that he held 
diplomacy to be, like the army and navy, outside 
the sphere or party politics. He goes out to urge 
upon Russia with gentle firmness the propriety of 
getting her proteges In Eastern Rumella and 
Bulgaria to cany out the T reaty of Berlin In a 
peaceable and orderly manner. T he fact is that 
the Eastern RumeUuns are determined not to sub¬ 
mit to T urkish rule in any rorrn, or to have tbe 
Balkan Passes garrisoned by Turkish troops, If 
they cau help It, and they arc encouraged natural¬ 
ly In their resistance by the meeting of the Bul¬ 
garian Parliament at. Tlrnova, Inasmuch as this 
body seems to be fully as much occupied with their 
fate as with the affairs of Its own province Some 
ot the English papers keep exhorting Lord Bea- 
cousheld to give up Eastern Rumella; but this is 
asking a little too much because this lie considered 
tbe great stroke of his Berlin mission. Neverthe¬ 
less there are rumors that he is beginning to think 
of doing It, provided he can get something from 
