Consomme is a good stock made from beef, veal, and often fowl, and flavored with vegetables, cooled, freed from fat.  It is clarified with whites and shells of eggs, and chopped raw lean beef, and strained through a cloth.  It should be brilliantly clear and of a pale brown color.  Any fat floating on the stock may be removed by passing a piece of kitchen or blotting paper over the surface.  Soup left from a meal will keep better if strained from the vegetables that have been served in it.  In hot weather, stock left over must be boiled each day, and poured into a clean basin to prevent its turning sour.  In warm weather, soups with milk in their composition should have a pinch of baking soda added.

Thickenings for soup consist usually of yolks of eggs and cream beaten together in a basin, the boiling soup poured on slowly, stirring well at the same time.  Soups thus thickened should not be allowed to boil again, otherwise they will curdle.  Instead of eggs and cream, cornstarch and milk may be used to thicken the soup.

Asparagus Soup

40 heads asparagus 3 tablespoonfuls flour 3 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1/2 cupful cream 1 quart white stock 1 bunch herbs 1 bay leaf 4 sprigs parsley 2 egg yolks 1 blade mace Salt and white pepper to taste 1 onion

Take heads off asparagus, and put aside.  Cut up stalks in slices, also onion, put these into saucepan with Crisco, herbs, parsley, bay leaf, and mace, and fry gently for fifteen minutes, add flour, then stock, and simmer slowly for 1-1/2 hours.  Rub through sieve, add cream, yolks of eggs, and seasonings, reheat, but take care not to boil soup.  Just before serving throw in asparagus tops, which should be first cooked in a little boiling stock.

Cheese Soup

4 tablespoonfuls grated cheese 3 quarts clear soup stock 1-1/2 cupfuls flour 4 tablespoonfuls Crisco 2 cupfuls cream 2 eggs Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste Finely grated cheese

Put flour into double boiler, add gradually cream, Crisco, 4 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese and paprika to taste, stir over fire till a smooth paste.  Break in eggs, mix well, cook two minutes longer and allow to cool.  Roll into balls, when they are all formed, drop into boiling water and cook gently five minutes.  Drain and put into soup tureen.  Pour over boiling stock and serve with dish of finely grated cheese.

Cream of Tomato Soup

2 tablespoonfuls flour 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls Crisco 1 cupful milk 2-1/2 cupfuls strained tomato juice 1 teaspoonful celery salt Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste Pinch baking soda 1 tablespoonful tomato catsup

Blend Crisco and flour together in saucepan over fire, add milk and bring to boiling point.  Heat tomato juice, tomato catsup and add soda and seasonings.