shallots and
onions; sliced onions fried with butter and flour until they are
browned, then rubbed through a sieve, are excellent to heighten the
color and flavor of brown sauces and soups. The herbs usually used in
soups are parsley, common thyme, summer savory, knotted marjoram, and
other seasonings, such as bay-leaves, tarragon, allspice, cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves, mace, black and white pepper, red pepper, lemon peel
and juice, orange peel and juice. The latter imparts a finer flavor
and the acid much milder. These materials, with wine, and the various
catsups, combined in various proportions, are, with other ingredients,
made into almost an endless variety of excellent soups and gravies.
Soups that are intended for the principal part of a meal certainly
ought not to be flavored like sauces, which are only intended to give
relish to some particular dish.

STOCK.

Six pounds of shin of beef, or six pounds of knuckle of veal; any
bones, trimmings of poultry, or fresh meat; one-quarter pound of lean
bacon or ham, two ounces of butter, two large onions, each stuck with
cloves; one turnip, three carrots, one head of celery, two ounces of
salt, one-half teaspoonful of whole pepper, one large blade of mace,
one bunch of savory herbs except sage, four quarts and one-half-pint
of cold water.

Cut up the meat and bacon, or ham, into pieces of about three inches
square; break the bones into small pieces, rub the butter on the
bottom of the stewpan; put in one-half a pint of water, the broken
bones, then meat and all other ingredients. Cover the stewpan, and
place it on a sharp fire, occasionally stirring its contents. When the
bottom of the pan becomes covered with a pale, jelly-like substance,
add the four quarts of cold water, and simmer very gently for five or
six hours. As we have said before, do not let it boil quickly. When
nearly cooked, throw in a tablespoonful of salt to assist the scum to
rise. Remove every particle of scum whilst it is doing, and strain it
through a fine hair sieve; when cool remove all grease. This stock
will keep for many days in cold weather.

Stock is the basis of many of the soups afterwards mentioned, and this
will be found quite strong enough for ordinary purposes. Keep it in
small jars, in a cool place. It makes a good gravy for hash meats;
one tablespoonful of it is sufficient to impart a fine flavor to a
dish of macaroni and various other dishes. Good soups of various kinds
are made