=String bean salad.= Put in salad bowl some cold boiled string beans, sprinkle with very finely-sliced chives, chopped parsley, salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and one-third vinegar and two-thirds olive oil.

=Potage d.u.c.h.esse.= Cream of rice with royal in strips.

=Fillet of sole, Marguery.= Prepare the sole as for "au vin blanc."

Place on top of each fillet two parboiled mussels, and two heads of French mushrooms, cover with sauce "au vin blanc," sprinkle with bread crumbs made from stale rolls, and a little b.u.t.ter, and bake in hot oven until a light yellow color.

DECEMBER 25

BREAKFAST Hothouse raspberries with cream Oatmeal Rolls Coffee

LUNCHEON Eggs ministerielle Cold a.s.sorted meats Chiffonnade salad Pont Neuf cake Demi ta.s.se

DINNER Blue Points, mignonette Bisque d'ecrevisses Salted almonds. Celery Ripe California olives Fillet of trout, Cafe de Paris Sweetbreads braise, au jus Puree de marrons Roast goose, apple sauce Sweet potatoes, Southern style Pate de foie gras de Strasbourg Lettuce salad, aux fines herbes Frozen diplomate pudding a.s.sorted cakes Pont l'eveque cheese Crackers Nuts and raisins Coffee

=Eggs ministerielle.= Cut sandwich bread in slices about two inches thick. With a round cutter about three inches in diameter cut out the white of the bread. With another cutter about an inch and a half in diameter cut out the center of the round slices, leaving a ring of bread. Soak these rings in thick cream for a second, put on b.u.t.tered dish, break an egg in the center of each, salt and pepper, cover with a light cream sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake in oven for about eight minutes.

=Pont Neuf potatoes.= Three times the size of regular "French" fried potatoes.

=Sweetbreads braise au jus. (Glace).= Place in b.u.t.tered saute pan one sliced onion, one carrot, a little parsley, a bay leaf and a clove, and a few pepper berries. Put three parboiled sweetbreads, which may be larded with fresh or salted pork if desired, on top, add one-half cup of bouillon, salt, and put over fire to boil. When reduced place in oven, add a small quant.i.ty of meat extract, and glace by basting continually with its own broth, until well browned. When done lay on platter and strain the broth over them.

=Bisque d'ecrevisses.= Remove the tails of three dozen ecrevisses. Use two-thirds of the sh.e.l.ls, broken up, to make the soup, and one-third for ecrevisse b.u.t.ter. Simmer in b.u.t.ter one onion, one carrot, a leek and a little celery, all cut up; with one bay leaf, some thyme and one spoonful of black pepper berries. Then add the broken sh.e.l.ls, two spoonsful of flour, one gla.s.s of white wine, one-half gla.s.s of brandy, one gallon of bouillon and one cup of raw rice. Season with salt and Cayenne pepper, cook till rice is very soft, and strain through fine sieve. Bisque should be a little thicker than other cream soups. Before serving add two spoonsful of ecrevisse b.u.t.ter and stir well, then add the ecrevisse tails and one-half gla.s.s of Cognac.

=ecrevisse= b.u.t.ter. Break fine in mortar some ecrevisse (crayfish) sh.e.l.ls. Put in sauce pan with one-half pound of b.u.t.ter, one-half onion, one-half carrot, a small piece of celery, one-half of a leek stalk, a little thyme, one bay leaf and a few pepper berries, and simmer in oven till b.u.t.ter is clarified, or clear, and all the other liquids evaporated. Squeeze through cheese cloth into a bowl standing in ice.

The b.u.t.ter will rise to the top, and may be easily removed when cold.

This b.u.t.ter is used with many sauces, soups, etc.

=Lobster b.u.t.ter.= Use lobster sh.e.l.ls and prepare in the same manner as ecrevisse b.u.t.ter. This b.u.t.ter is used for lobster sauce, Newburg dishes, soups, etc.

DECEMBER 26

BREAKFAST Stewed prunes Boiled eggs Toast Tea

LUNCHEON Grapefruit en supreme Cold goose and ham, apple sauce Romaine salad Brie cheese Crackers Coffee

DINNER Potage bonne femme Roast ruddy duck Fried hominy and currant jelly Cold asparagus, mustard sauce Baba au rhum Coffee

=Potage bonne femme.= Puree of white beans with Julienne of vegetables.

=Fillet of sole, Florentine.= Put the fillet of one sole in a b.u.t.tered pan, salt, add one-half gla.s.s of water mixed with white wine, and boil until done. In the center of a b.u.t.tered platter put a cup of puree of spinach and place the boiled fillet on top, cover with Mornay sauce, with grated cheese and small bits of b.u.t.ter on top of the sauce. Bake in oven until brown.

=Roast ruddy duck.= Roast for twelve minutes, in the same manner as teal duck.

=Baba au rhum.= One-half pound of flour, one ounce of yeast, three ounces of b.u.t.ter, two ounces of sugar, two ounces of currants and the rind and juice of one lemon. Dissolve the yeast in one cup of warm milk and make a soft sponge with half of the flour, cover and let rise in a warm place. Work the sugar and the b.u.t.ter together until creamy, add the eggs and lemon and the rest of the flour. When the sponge has risen to twice its original size mix with the batter; at the same time adding the currants. Fill baba moulds half full and let raise until nearly to the edge of the moulds. Bake in a rather hot oven. When done soak well in a syrup made with one pint of water, one pound of sugar, one gill of rum and the juice of a lemon. Pour some of the sauce over the babas when serving.

=Savarin au kirsch.= Make a dough the same as for baba au rhum, but omit the currants. Fill a round crown-shaped savarin mould half full, allow to raise, and bake. Soak in a syrup made of one pint of water, one pound of sugar, and one gill of kirschwa.s.ser. Serve warm.

=Savarin Chantilly.= Same as savarin au kirsch, but decorated with whipped cream, and served cold.

=Savarin Montmorency.= Like savarin au kirsch, but serve hot with stewed stoned cherries as sauce.

=Savarin mirabelle.= Same as savarin au kirsch, but serve hot with stewed stoned mirabelles.

DECEMBER 27

BREAKFAST Preserved figs Ham and eggs Toasted corn m.u.f.fins Coffee

LUNCHEON Consomme in cups Ripe olives Panfish saute, meuniere Stewed tripe, Blanchard Savarin au kirsch Coffee

DINNER Potage Flamande Frogs' legs, saute a sec Roast sirloin of beef, Porte Maillot Lettuce braise Chateau potatoes Endive salad Biscuit glace a.s.sorted cakes Coffee

=Stewed tripe, Blanchard.= Simmer a chopped onion in three ounces of b.u.t.ter, add one pint of bouillon, or stock, or chicken broth, one spoonful of flour, one pound of tripe cut in strips, one cupful of raw round potatoes cut out with a small-size "Parisian" spoon, one bouquet garni and one gill of white wine. Cover and cook for one hour, or until potatoes are very soft. Before serving remove bouquet garni and sprinkle with fresh-chopped parsley.

=Potage Flamande.= Potato soup mixed with brunoise.

=Frogs' legs, saute a sec.= To have the best flavor frogs should be killed just before cooking. Remove the skins and cut off the hind legs, salt and pepper them and roll in flour. Saute one dozen frogs' legs in three ounces of hot b.u.t.ter in a frying pan, for a few minutes over a good fire. Then add a chopped shallot and let simmer for a few minutes.

The legs should then be crisp. Serve on a platter with chopped parsley and lemon.

=Roast sirloin of beef, Porte Maillot.= Roast the sirloin, serve with sauce Madere, garnish with small French carrots, celery braise, lettuce braise and chateau potatoes.

=Lettuce braise.= Wash four heads of large romaine lettuce in cold water, parboil in salt water, cool, and squeeze dry with the hands. Cut each head in four lengthwise, remove the stem, season with salt and pepper, and fold so both ends come together. Place a piece of pigskin in the bottom of a b.u.t.tered pan, put the lettuce on top, and add a sliced onion, one carrot and a bay leaf. Cover with b.u.t.tered manilla paper and allow to simmer for a while. Then add one cup of stock, put in oven and cook until soft. Used for garnishing entrees, etc.

=Biscuit glace.= Put in double boiler eight yolks of eggs, one-half pound of sugar, and one-half of a split vanilla bean. Cook until it thickens, stirring continually. Then remove from the fire and beat with an egg whip until cold and very light. Remove the vanilla bean, add one quart of whipped cream and mix lightly. Put in fancy paper cases or fancy moulds, and freeze. Before serving decorate the tops with whipped cream, or any kind of ice cream or water ice.

=Biscuit glace, St. Francis.= Fill some oblong paper cases with biscuit glace foundation, put in ice box to freeze, decorate the tops with pistachio and strawberry ice cream before serving.

=Biscuit glace= of strawberry, raspberry, coffee, pistachio, chocolate, apple, mapleine, pineapple, kirsch, peppermint, etc. Same as Biscuit Glace, but decorate with the desired ice cream or water ice before serving.

DECEMBER 28

BREAKFAST Broiled Finnan haddie Baked potatoes Rolls Coffee

LUNCHEON Canape of sardines Boston baked beans Brown bread Coffee

DINNER Seapuit oysters Cream of rice Salted pecans Fillet of flounder, Cafe Riche Spring lamb tenderloin, Thomas Roast chicken, au jus Hearts of romaine, egg dressing Strawberry parfait Macaroons Coffee

=Broiled Finnan haddie.= (Smoked haddock). Remove the bones, roll in oil and put on iron to broil. When done on both sides place on platter, cover with maitre d'hotel sauce or plain melted b.u.t.ter, garnish with parsley in branches and quartered lemons.

=Cream of rice.= Melt in sauce pan two ounces of b.u.t.ter, add one-quarter pound of rice flour, and when hot, one and one-half pints of chicken broth. Boil for ten minutes and strain. Season with salt and Cayenne pepper, and add one-half pint of hot cream and a small piece of b.u.t.ter before serving.

=Salted Pecans.= Roast one-half pound of sh.e.l.led pecans to a light brown color, wet with a solution of water and a little gum Arabic, or the white of an egg, while they are still hot, and then dust over with one spoonful of fine table salt and stir until dry.

=Salted English walnuts.= Follow directions for pecans.

=Fillet of flounder, Cafe Riche.= Put the fillets in a b.u.t.tered pan, cover with white wine, and boil. When done place on platter, pour Genoise sauce with the addition of a spoonful of beef extract, over the fish.