EGGS AND OMELETTES

GGS of various kinds are largely used as food for man, and it is scarcely possible to exaggerate their value in this capacity, so simple and convenient are they in their form and so mani- fold may be their transformations. They are exceedingly delicious, hio-hly nutritious and easy of digestion, and when the shell is included they may be said to contain in themselves all that is required for the construction of the body. It has been claimed for them that they may be served in about six hundred ways, although it is generally found that the more simply they are prepared the more they are approved. Although other eggs besides birds' eggs are eaten it is generally agreed that the eggs of the common fowl and of the plover possess the sweetest and richest flavor. The eggs of ducks and geese are frequently used in cookery, but they are of too coarse a nature to be eaten alone. The eggs of the turkey and of the peahen are highly esteemed for some purposes* The weight of an ordinary new-laid hen's egg is from one and a half to two and a half ounces avoirdupois, and the qiiantity of solid matter contained in it amounts to two hundred grains. In one hundred parts about ten parts consist of shell, sixty of white and thirty of yolk. The white of the egg contains more water than the yolk. It contains no fatty matter but consists chiefly of albumen in a dissolved state. All the fatty matter of the egg is accumulated in the yolk, which contains relatively a smaller proportion of nitro- genous matter and a larger proportion of solid matter than the ivhite. Therefore, in an alimentary point of view the white and

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the yolk differ considerably from each other, the former being, mainly a sinqjle solution of albumen, the latter being a solution of a modified form of albumen together with a quantity of fat.

Raw and lightly boiled eggs are easy of digestion. It is said that raw eggs are more easily digested than cooked ones; but this may be doubted if the egg is not over-cooked. A hard-boiled egg presents a decided resistance to gastric solution, and has constipa- tory action on the bowels.

Beeaded Eggs. Boil hard and cut in round, thick slices; pepper and salt and dip each in beaten raw egg, then in fine bread crumbs or powdered cracker crumbs and fry in butter, hissing hot. Drain off everjr drop of grease and serve hot.

Egg a la Mode. Remove the skin from a dozen tomatoes, medium size, cut them up in a saucepan, add a little butter, pepper and salt; when suffi- ciently boiled, beat up five or six eggs, and just before you serve^ turn them into the saucepan with the tomato, and stir one way for two minutes, allowing them time to be well done.

How TO Bake Eggs. Butter a clean, smooth saucepan, break as many eggs as will be needed into a saucer, one by one. If found good, slip it into the dish. No broken yolk allowed, nor must they crowd so as to risk breaking the yolk after being put in. Put a small piece of butter on eacli, and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Set into a well-heated oven, and bake till the whites are set. If the oven is rightly heated^ it will take but a few minutes, and is far more delicate than fried eggs.

Egg Baskets.

Boil quite hard as many eggs as will be needed. Put into cold water till cold, then cut neatly into halves with a thin, sharp knife;, remove the yolk and rub to a paste with some melted butter„

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adding pepper and salt. Cover up this paste and set aside till the filling is ready. Take cold roast duck, chicken, or turkey Avhich may be on hand, chop fine i-nd pound smooth, and while pounding mix in the paste prepared from the yolks. As you pound moisten with melted butter and some gravy which may have been left over from the fowls; set this paste when done over hot water till well heated. Cut off a small slice from the end of the empty halves of the Avhites so they will stand firm, then fill them with this paste; place them close together on a flat, round dish, and pour over the rest of the gravy, if any remains, or make a little fresh. A few spoonfuls of cream or rich milk improves this dressing.

To Pickle Eggs.

Sixteen eggs, one quart of vinegar, one-half ounce of black pepper, one-half ounce Jamaica pepper, one-half ounce of ginger; boil the eggs twelve minutes; dip in cold water and take off the shell; put the vinegar with the pepper and ginger into a stew pan and simmer ten minutes; place the eggs in a jar, pour over the seasoned vinegar boiling hot, and when cold tie them down with a bladder to exclude the air; ready for use in a month.

Scrambled Eggs. Heat the spider and put in a little butter; have the eggs broken into a dish, salt and pepper them; add a small piece of butter; beat up just enough to break the eggs, then pour into the buttered spider; scrape them up from the bottom with a thin knife to prevent their cooking fast. Do not cook too dry.

To Poach Eggs. Have the water well salted, and do not let it boil hard. Break the eggs separately into a saucer, and slip gently into the water; when nicely done, remove with a skimmer, trim neatly, and lay each egg upon a small thin square of buttered toast, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Some persons prefer them poached, rather than fried, with ham; in Avhich case substitute the ham for toast.

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Stuffed Eggs.

Boil tlie eggs hard, remove the shells, and then cut in two either way, as preferred. Remove the yolks, and mix witli theiii pepper, salt, and a little dry raiist::i*d — some like cold chicken, ham, or tongue chopped very fine — and then stuff the cavities, smooth them, and put the halves together again. For picnics they can simply be wrapped in tissue paper to keep them together. If for home use, they can be egged, and bread-crumbed, and browned in boiling lard; drain ^nd garnish with parsley.

First have fresh eggs, not omelette eggs (in restaurants all eggs that will not in any way do to boil, are put aside for omelettes), break the eggs in a bowl and to every egg add a tablespoonful of milk and whip the whole as thoroughly as you would for sj^onge cake. The omelette pan must be so hot that butter will melt almost brown in it but not quite. Then run the whipped egg and milk into the pan and put it directly over the fire. Take a thin-bladed. knife and run it carefully under the bottom of the omelette so as to let that which is cooked get above. If the fire is right the whole mass will swell and puff and cook in just about one minute. Watch carefully that it does not burn. It is not necessary to wait till the whole mass is solid as its own heat will cook it after it has left the pan, but begin at one side and carefully roll the edge over and over till it is all rolled up, then let it stand a moment to brown. Turn aut on a hot plate and serve immediately.

Omelette, No. 2.

Six eggs, one tablespoonful of flour, one cup of milk, a pinch of salt; beat the whites and yolks separately; mix the flour, milk and salt, add the yolks, then add beaten whites. Have a buttered spider very hot; put in. Bake in a quick oven five minutes.

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Apple Omelette.

Eight large apples, four eggs, one cup of sugar, one tablespoon- ful of butter, nutmeg or cinnamon to taste. Stew the apples and mash fine; add butter and sugar; when cold, add the eggs, well beaten. Bake until brown, and eat while warm.

Baked Omelette.

Set one-half pint of milk on the fire and stir in one-half cup of flour mixed with a little cold milk and salt; when scalding hot, beat the yolks of six eggs and add them; stir in whites and set imme- diately in the oven. Bake twenty minutes and serve as soon as done.

Oyster Omelette.

Allow for every six large oysters or twelve small ones, one egg; remove the hard part and mince the rest very fine; take the yolks of eight eggs and whites of four, beat till very light; then mix in the oysters, season and beat all up thoroughly; put into a skillet a gill of butter, let it melt; when the butter boils, skim it and turn in the omelette; stir until it stiffens, fry light brown; when the under side is brown, turn on to a hot platter. If wanted the upper side brown, hold a red-hot shovel over it.

Omelette Souffle,

Stir five tablespoonfuls of sifted flour into three pints of milk, strain through a sieve; add the yolks of eight eggs, beaten very light, and, just as it goes into the oven, the whites beaten stiff. Bake quickly.

French Omelette.

One quart of milk, one pint of bread crumbs, five eggs, one table- spoonful of flour, one onion chopped fine, chopped parsley, season with pepper and salt. Have butter melted in a spider; when the omelette is broAvn, turn it over. Doi'l^le when served.