Presbyterian Cook Book 1873
Food For The Sick

FOOD FOR THE SICK.


In preparing articles of diet for the sick be careful to use cooking utensils that are perfectly sweet and clean.


Food should be prepared in small quantities, and served in the most inviting manner.

 

 

BEEF TEA.

Cut one pound of lean, fresh, juicy beef into thin slices; sprinkle with a little salt; put it into a wide-mouthed glass or stone jar; cover closely; set it in a kettle of water which must boil hard for one hour; take out the jar and strain the essence of the beef into a bowl.
Chicken tea may be made in the same manner.



 

MUTTON BROTH.

Boil a piece of mutton until it will fall from the bone; then strain the broth and let it get cold, so that the fat will rise, which must be taken off; then warm the liquor and put in a little salt.
Swelled rice or barley may be added to it.
Veal or chicken broth is made in the same way.



 

GRUEL FOR THE SICK.

Gruel can be made from oatmeal, arrowroot, wheat flour or corn meal. In all cases these things should be first mixed smoothly with a little cold water, and afterwards more water added; boil and season to taste. Two tablespoonsful of any of them is enough to make one pint, when boiled. A few raisins boiled in gruel is an improvement.



 

EGG GRUEL.

Beat the yolk of one egg with one tablespoonful of white sugar; pour one teacupful of boiling water on it; add the white of the egg beaten to a froth, with any seasoning or spice you may desire. To be taken warm.



 

PANADA.

Toast a slice of bread very dry, until a nice brown color, but do not scorch it; break in small pieces into a bowl; put in sugar and a little grated nutmeg and pour boiling water over it. If the patient has no fever one half glass of wine may be added.



 

BARLEY PANADA.

Boil a small teacupful of barley in water (with a few raisins) until it is soft. Put in sugar and a little grated nutmeg; break in bits of toast or dry rusk after it is taken from the fire.



 

EGG PANADA.

Boil one handful of good raisins in one pint of water; toast a piece of bread nicely and cut it up into a bowl; beat one egg with a teaspoonful of sugar and put with the bread. When the raisins are soft, pour them, with the water in which they were boiled, over the toast and egg, stirring all the time; season to taste with wine, nutmeg and butter, if the patient can bear it.



 

TOAST WATER.

Cut slices of bread very thin; toast it dry and brown, but do not let it burn; put it in a pitcher and pour boiling water on it. Toast water will allay thirst better than almost any thing else.



 

APPLE WATER, ETC.

Roast two nice, tart apples; mash and pour over them one pint of water, or slice raw apples and pour boiling water over them.
Tamarinds, currant or grape jellies, cranberries or dried fruits of any kind, mixed with water, make a good drink.



 

WINE WHEY.

Boil one pint of milk; when it rises to the top of the sauce pan, pour in a large glassful of sherry or maderia wine; let it boil up; if it separates, take it off the fire; let it stand a few minutes, but do not stir it. Strain it through swiss muslin.



 

BUTTERMILK WHEY.

Put one quart of buttermilk in a sauce pan over the fire; when it boils, put in the beaten yolk of one egg, and, if it can be allowed, a little cream or butter; beat the white of the egg very light and stir in; add sugar and spice to taste.



 

TAMARIND WHEY.

Mix one ounce of tamarind pulp with one pint of warm milk; strain it and add a little sugar to the whey.



 

MULLED WINE.

Beat together one egg; one glass of wine, and one tablespoonful of sugar; add to it one half pint of boiling water; stir all the time to prevent curdling; pour it into a tumbler and grate a little nutmeg over it.



 

MULLED JELLY.

Take one tablespoonful of currant or grape jelly; beat with it the white of one egg and a little loaf sugar; pour on it one half pint of boiling water, and break in a slice of dry toast or two crackers.



 

EGG NOGG.

Mrs. William Craighead.Beat up one egg; one and one half tablespoonsful of sugar; three tablespoonsful of cream, and one of liquor.


 

 

BLACK TEA.

Put one teaspoonful of tea in a vessel that will hold one pint; pour over it two small teacupsful of boiling water; cover closely, and set by the fire to draw.



 

COFFEE.

Put two teaspoonsful of ground coffee in a small tincup. Pour boiling water on it; cover and set over the fire five minutes; then let it settle and pour off in a cup; add sugar and cream if desired.



 

CHOCOLATE.

To make a single cup of chocolate, grate one desert-spoonful in a tincup and pour on it a teacupful of boiling water; cover and let stand over the fire five minutes; just before taking it off, stir in a teaspoonful of cream.



 

IRISH MOSS BLANC MANGE.

Pick over, carefully, one teacupful of Irish moss; wash it first in saleratus water; then rinse it several times in fresh; put it in a tin bucket, with one quart of milk; cover closely and set in a pot of boiling water. Let it stand until the milk begins to thicken, then strain through a fine sieve, and sweeten with powdered sugar; flavor with lemon or vanilla; wet the mould in cold water; pour in the blanc mange, and set in a cool place. When quite firm, loosen the edges from the mold and turn out on a dish. To be eaten with sugar and cream.



 

RYE MUSH.

Take four tablespoonsful of rye flour; mix smooth with a little water, and stir it into one pint of boiling water; boil twenty minutes, stirring frequently. To be eaten with cream or milk.



 

OYSTER TOAST.

R. L. E.Make a thick slice of well browned and buttered toast; lay it in a hot dish. Put six oysters; half a teacupful of their own liquor, and not quite one half teacupful of milk, into a tin cup. Boil one minute. Season with butter, pepper, and salt, and pour over the toast.



 

BOILED CUSTARD.

Beat up one egg, with a heaped teaspoonful of sugar; put it into a teacupful of boiling milk; stir until it thickens. Pour it into a bowl, over a slice of toasted bread. Spice to suit.



 

MEIG'S DIET FOR INFANTS.

A piece of sheet gelatine two inches square, soaked for a short time in cold water, then boil in one half pint of water about ten minutes; add, with constant stirring, one teaspoonful of arrowroot, dissolved, and one half pint of milk; add a little cream just before removing from the fire, and a moderate quantity of sugar.



 

DRIED FLOUR FOR INFANTS.

Take one teacupful of flour; tie it up tightly in a close muslin bag; put it in a pot with cold water; boil three hours; then take it out and dry the outside. When used, grate it; one tablespoonful is enough for one teacupful of milk (which would be better with one third water); wet the flour with a little cold water; before stirring it into the milk add a very little salt. Boil five minutes.



 

BEEF TEA FOR INFANTS.

Take one and one half pounds of the best steak; cut it into very small pieces, and put them into a glass jar with enough cold water to cover the meat; tie the top of the jar on and put it into a saucepan full of cold water; place it on the fire and boil three hours.

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