Good Things to Eat As Suggested by Rufus, by Rufus Estes
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GOOD THINGS TO EAT AS SUGGESTED BY RUFUS A COLLECTION OF PRACTICAL RECIPES FOR PREPARING MEATS, GAME, FOWL, FISH, PUDDINGS, PASTRIES, ETC. BY RUFUS ESTES FORMERLY OF THE PULLMAN COMPANY PRIVATE CAR SERVICE, AND PRESENT CHEF OF THE SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES OF THE UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATIONS IN CHICAGO CHICAGO PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR 1911 Copyrighted 1911 By Rufus Estes, Chicago FOREWORD hat the average parent is blind to the faults of its offspring is a fact so obvious that in attempting to prove or controvert it time and logic are both wasted. Ill temper in a child is, alas! too often mistaken for an indication of genius; and impudence is sometimes regarded as a sign of precocity. The author, however, has honestly striven to avoid this common prejudice. This book, the child of his brain, and experience, extending over a long period of time and varying environment, he frankly admits is not without its faults—is far from perfect; but he is satisfied that, notwithstanding its apparent shortcomings, it will serve in a humble way some useful purpose. The recipes given in the following pages represent the labor of years. Their worth has been demonstrated, not experimentally, but by actual tests, day by day and month by month, under dissimilar, and, in many instances, not too favorable conditions. One of the pleasures in life to the normal man is good eating, and if it be true that real happiness consists in making others happy, the author can at least feel a sense of gratification in the thought that his attempts to satisfy the cravings of the inner man have not been wholly unappreciated by the many that he has had the pleasure of serving—some of whom are now his stanchest friends. In fact, it was in response to the insistence and encouragement of these friends that he embarked in the rather hazardous undertaking of offering this collection to a discriminating public. To snatch from his daily toil a few moments, here and there, in order to arrange with some degree of symmetry, not the delicacies that would awaken the jaded appetite of the gourmet, but to prepare an ensemble that might, with equal grace, adorn the home table or banquet board, has proven a task of no mean proportions. Encouraged by his friends, however, he persevered and this volume is the results of his effort. If, when gathered around the festal board, in camp or by fireside, on train or ship, "trying out" the recipes, his friends will pause, retrospectively, and with kindly feelings think from whence some of the good things emanated, the author will feel amply compensated for the care, the thought, the labor he has expended in the preparation of the book; and to those friends, individually and collectively, it is therefore dedicated. SKETCH OF MY LIFE I was born in Murray County, Tennessee, in 1857, a slave. I was given the name of my master, D. J. Estes, who owned my mother's family, consisting of seven boys and two girls, I being the youngest of the family. After the war broke out all the male slaves in the neighborhood for miles around ran off and joined the "Yankees." This left us little folks to bear the burdens. At the age of five I had to carry water from the spring about a quarter of a mile from the house, drive the cows to and from the pastures, mind the calves, gather chips, etc. In 1867 my mother moved to Nashville, Tennessee, my grandmother's home, where I attended one term of school. Two of my brothers were lost in the war, a fact that wrecked my mother's health somewhat and I thought I could be of better service to her and prolong her life by getting work. When summer came I got work milking cows for some neighbors, for which I got two dollars a month. I also carried hot dinners for the laborers in the fields, for which each one paid me twenty-five cents per month. All of this, of course, went to my mother. I worked at different places until I was sixteen years old, but long before that time I was taking care of my mother. At the age of sixteen I was employed in Nashville by a restaurant-keeper named Hemphill. I worked there until I was twenty-one years of age. In 1881 I came to Chicago and got a position at 77 Clark Street, where I remained for two years at a salary of ten dollars a week. In 1883 I entered the Pullman service, my first superintendent being J. P. Mehen. I remained in their service until 1897. During the time I was in their service some of the most prominent people in the world traveled in the car assigned to me, as I was selected to handle all special parties. Among the distinguished people who traveled in my care were Stanley, the African explorer; President Cleveland; President Harrison; Adelina Patti, the noted singer of the world at that time; Booth and Barrett; Modjeski and Paderewski. I also had charge of the car for Princess Eulalie of Spain, when she was the guest of Chicago during the World's Fair. In 1894 I set sail from Vancouver on the Empress of China with Mr. and Mrs. Nathan A. Baldwin for Japan, visiting the Cherry Blossom Festival at Tokio. In 1897 Mr. Arthur Stillwell, at that time president of the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gould Railroad, gave me charge of his magnificent $20,000 private car. I remained with him seventeen months when the road went into the hands of receivers, and the car was sold to John W. Gates syndicate. However, I had charge of the car under the new management until 1907, since which time I have been employed as chef of the subsidiary companies of the United States Steel Corporation in Chicago. HINTS TO KITCHEN MAIDS It is always necessary to keep your kitchen in the best condition. Breakfast—If a percolator is used it should first be put into operation. If the breakfast consists of grapefruit, cereals, etc., your cereal should be the next article prepared. If there is no diningroom maid, you can then put your diningroom in order. If hot bread is to be served (including cakes) that is the next thing to be prepared. Your gas range is of course lighted, and your oven heated. Perhaps you have for breakfast poached eggs on toast, Deerfoot sausage or boiled ham. One of the above, with your other dishes, is enough for a person employed indoors. When your breakfast gong is sounded put your biscuits, eggs, bread, etc., in the oven so that they may be ready to serve when the family have eaten their grapefruit and cereal. Luncheon—This is the easiest meal of the three to prepare. Yesterday's dinner perhaps consisted of roast turkey, beef or lamb, and there is some meat left over; then pick out one of my receipts calling for minced or creamed meats; baked or stuffed potatoes are always nice, or there may be cold potatoes left over that can be mashed, made into cakes and fried. Dinner—For a roast beef dinner serve vegetable soup as the first course, with a relish of vegetables in season and horseradish or chow-chow pickle, unless you serve salad. If quail or ducks are to be served for dinner, an old Indian dish, wild rice, is very desirable. Prepare this rice as follows: Place in a double boiler a cupful of milk or cream to each cupful of rice and add salt and pepper to taste. It requires a little longer to cook than the ordinary rice, but must not be stirred. If it becomes dry add a little milk from time to time. Do not serve dishes at the same meal that conflict. For instance, if you have sliced tomatoes, do not serve tomato soup. If, however, you have potato soup, it would not be out of place to serve potatoes with your dinner. Fish should never be served without a salad of some kind. The above are merely suggestions that have been of material assistance to me. TABLE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Four teaspoonfuls of a liquid equal 1 tablespoonful. Four tablespoonfuls of a liquid equal 1/2 gill or 1/4 cup. One-half cup equals 1 gill. Two gills equal 1 cup. Two cups equal 1 pint. Two pints (4 cups) equal 1 quart. Four cups of flour equal 1 pound or 1 quart. Two cups of butter, solid, equal 1 pound. One half cup of butter, solid, equals 1/4 pound 4 ounces. Two cups of granulated sugar equal 1 pound. Two and one half cups of powdered sugar equal 1 pound. One pint of milk or water equals 1 pound. One pint of chopped meat equals 1 pound. Ten eggs, shelled, equal 1 pound. Eight eggs with shells equal 1 pound. Two tablespoonfuls of butter equal 1 ounce. Two tablespoonfuls of granulated sugar equal 1 ounce. Four tablespoonfuls of flour equal 1 ounce. Four tablespoonfuls of coffee equal 1 ounce. One tablespoonful of liquid equals 1/2 ounce. Four tablespoonfuls of butter equal 2 ounces or 1/4 cup. All measurements are level unless otherwise stated in the recipe. CONTENTS FISH BEEF, VEAL AND PORK SALADS POULTRY AND POULTRY DRESSINGS LUNCH DISHES GAME, GRAVY AND GARNISHES LENTEN DISHES MISCELLANEOUS VEGETABLES SAUCES ROLLS, BREAD AND MUFFINS PIES AND PASTRIES CAKES, CRULLERS AND ECLAIRS CANDIES ICE CREAM AND SHERBETS PRESERVES, PICKLES AND RELISH SOUFFLES FILLING FOR CAKES DESSERTS SAUCE FOR PUDDINGS BEVERAGES ADDITIONAL RECIPES TABLE OF CONTENTS GOOD THINGS TO EAT SOUPS ASPARAGUS SOUP—Take three pounds of knuckle of veal and put it to boil in a gallon of water with a couple of bunches of asparagus, boil for three hours, strain, and return the juice to the pot.