Light Entertaining - A Book of Dainty Recipes for Special Occasions - Sandwiches, Beverages, Candies, Chafing Dish Recipes

By Helena Judson

This vintage book contains a collection of interesting and useful recipes for special occasions, including instructions for making sandwiches, beverages, candies, and much more. With step-by-step directions and a wealth of useful information, this is a volume that will appeal to those who love to host, and one that would make for a fantastic addition to culinary collections. Contents include: "Sandwiches", "Sandwiches of Meat, Fowl, and Fish", "Egg Sandwich", "Salad Sandwiches", "Cheese Sandwiches!", "Nut and Sweet Sandwiches", "Cold Beverages", "Fruit Beverages", "Cordials, Beers, etc.", "Milk and Egg Drinks", "Iced Tea, Coffee, and Chocolate", et cetera. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on cocktail and beverage making.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vintage Cookery Books
• Release date: Aug 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781473339378

Book preview

SWEET

CHAPTER I—SANDWICHES

THE old fashioned sandwich, which consisted of a slice of cold meat laid between two slices of buttered bread, has little in common with the sandwich of to-day. Nowadays sandwich-making is a veritable art, and admits of much originality.

Not only is the modern sandwich more pleasing to look upon than the old-time affair, but the dainty arrangement of chopped meat or fowl, fish paste or minced vegetables, is much more easily eaten. No embarrassing gristle or fibre ever enters into a well made sandwich and it is as easily disposed of as a freshly baked biscuit.

Bread for sandwich-making should be of close, even grain, and at least a day old. Where the use of fresh bread is unavoidable, a heated knife will facilitate the work of cutting in thin slices. This precaution is taken when rolled sandwiches are made from fresh bread. Wheat, rye, graham, entire wheat or brown bread may all be used for sandwiches, but discretion must be used as to just what particular filling combines best with these different varieties of bread.

UTENSILS

In families where many lunches are prepared or much entertaining done, the work of making dainty sandwiches will be lessened materially by the purchase of a bread slicer. A meat chopper is also almost an essential of modern sandwich-making, for into it may go all sorts of sandwich material,—to come out of a consistency easily spread on the thinly sliced bread. Meat, fowl, vegetables,—all are more easily handled after having passed through one of these grinders.

The butter used in the making of sandwiches should be creamed. This is easily done with a warm silver fork or a wooden spoon. If hard butter is used the thin bread invariably tears. Many persons prefer to trim the crust from the entire loaf before beginning to cut it in slices. By this method, one economizes in butter, but the loaf, free of crust, is not so easily handled, unless quite stale. The first, third, and every alternating slice should be buttered on the loaf. It will be easily seen that if every slice were spread before cutting, they would not match when placed together. It is necessary to spread only one slice where the bread is shaved very thin. Some persons prefer to spread more butter on a single slice, than spread two slices with a thin layer. This saves time and the result is practically the same.

SANDWICH BUTTERS

What are known as sandwich butters are much liked and may be used either alone or in connection with a regular sandwich filling. These sandwich butters are made by creaming ordinary butter and mixing with it finely chopped or pounded parsley, chives, cress, horseradish or cheese, selecting a flavor which is best suited to the filling to be used should the sandwich butter not be considered sufficient. These appetizing butters are largely accountable for the subtile flavor of many carefully made sandwiches.

SANDWICH FILLINGS

Almost every material known to the epicure is now utilized for sandwich filling, and still manufacturers are every now and then adding some delicious concoction to the already long list. Among the favorite made fillings are the fish pastes. Anchovy, bloater, sardine and shrimp mixtures are now in the market to say nothing of the hundred and one potted and deviled meats and different varieties of fowl. The majority of these come in neat jars, but of late many have been brought upon the market in collapsible tubes which are the latest thing in modern luxury for the automobile lunch or the picnic. Where one prefers to prepare the sandwich filling at home, eggs form a staple material on which to display originality. Flaked fresh fish, well seasoned, can easily be prepared at home for a delicious sandwich filling. Green sandwiches made from chopped celery, green peppers, or from a single leaf of dressed lettuce or romaine, are among the favorite fillings of this class. Sandwich material, of all kinds, is improved by mixing with some salad dressing before spreading on the bread. Where sweet sandwiches are desired, all manner of jams and marmalades may be pressed into service and thin slices of sponge cake may be substituted for the bread.

CANAPÉS

Any of the mixtures used for sandwiches may be acceptably spread on pieces of bread which have been fried in a little butter or olive oil, and left uncovered, in the form of a canapé. These are much used at the beginning of a dinner or luncheon and are often called