Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Dining Car Cookbook

by E Mooneyhan

  BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

  4 cups flour

  4 teaspoons baking powder

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 kitchenspoon sugar

  4 eggs

  Enough milk to make batter

  4 kitchenspoons melted butter

  1½ cups canned, drained, blueberries

  1 kitchenspoon = 4 tablespoons

  Please note that in preparing blueberry muffins, melted butter must be used and under no circumstances should any other shortening be substituted. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Add eggs and 1½ cups drained floured blueberries, then add sufficient milk to make batter of proper consistency. Last of all, add melted butter, and be careful not to beat batter after butter has been added.

  TEA BISCUITS

  5 cups flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  5 teaspoons baking powder

  1 cup shortening

  Enough milk to make soft dough

  Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Chop in the shortening until very fine, add milk slowly and mix to a soft dough. Place biscuit dough on a well floured pastry board. Knead just enough to give a smooth, oval surface, roll out with a rolling pin to 1 inch thick. Cut into biscuits and lay them, not touching one another, onto a floured baling pan. Bake in a very hot oven until done, and of a nice golden brown color.

  CREAM SCONES

  2 cups flour

  4 teaspoons baking powder

  2 teaspoons sugar

  ½ teaspoon salt

  4 Tablespoons butter

  2 eggs

  1/3 cup cream

  Mix and sift dry ingredients. Work in butter with fork or fingertips; add eggs, well beaten (reserve a small amount of unbeaten egg white), and cream. Toss on floured board, pat, and roll ¾ inch thick. Cut in squares or triangles, brush with reserved egg-white diluted with 1 teaspoonful water, sprinkle with sugar, and bake 15 minutes in hot oven.

  GINGER MUFFINS

  Use Ginger mix.

  GINGERBREAD

  Use Ginger mix.

  CROUTON—PARMESEAN CHEESE

  Cut bread in circular pieces, ¼ inch thick and 1½ inches in diameter. Brown in oven on both sides, and spread with butter and grated cheese. Return to oven and toast lightly to melt cheese. Drop one crouton in each cup of soup at time of service.

  PINEAPPLE MUFFINS

  Use regular bran mix, adding to each pound of mix one cup of well-drained crushed pineapple. Bake as near to mealtime as possible; otherwise the product will be unsatisfactory.

  SALLY LUNN MUFFINS

  4 cups flour

  4 teaspoons baking powder

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 kitchenspoon sugar

  4 eggs

  Enough milk to make batter

  4 kitchenspoons melted butter

  Please note that in preparing Sally Lunn Muffins, melted butter must be used and, under no circumstances, should any other shortening be substituted. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Add eggs and sufficient milk to make a batter of proper consistency. Last of all, add melted butter, and be careful not to beat batter after butter has been added.

  1 kitchenspoon = 4 Tablespoons

  BANANA FRITTERS

  2 eggs

  1 Tablespoon sugar

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 Tablespoon melted butter

  1½ cups milk

  4 cups flour

  1 Tablespoon baking powder

  Sift the dry ingredients together. Beat the milk and eggs and slowly add the dry ingredients and beat thoroughly. Stir in melted butter. Peel the banana, cut in halves, lengthwise and crosswise. Dip each piece in batter, and drop into hot fat and fry until brown. Serve 2 pieces, ½ banana, with each order of chicken.

  CORN FRITTERS

  Combine ½ pound flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, a little salt, and one teaspoon of sugar. Then add 2 well beaten eggs, and enough milk to make a stiff batter. Add 2 cups of corn, mix well, and fry by dropping one-half kitchenspoon (2 tablespoons) at a time into shallow lard in a frying pan.

  HUSH PUPPIES

  Hush Puppy Mix will be furnished in 1½ pound packages. Follow instructions on package. These should be about the size of an egg. Serve two on service plate. Do not burn.

  DUMPLINGS

  2½ cups flour

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  ½ teaspoon salt

  2 eggs

  About 1 cup milk

  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Break eggs into center, add milk gradually, and stir until a stiff batter is obtained. Place colander over a large saucepan half filled with boiling water. Drop ½ Tablespoon of batter evenly over bottom of colander. Cover and steam about 5 minutes.

  ORANGE MUFFINS

  To three (3) cups of Fancy Muffin Mix, add ½ cup of orange juice, ½ cup water, and three (3) drops of Yellow Food Coloring. Mix as per instructions on bag. Add three (3) Tablespoons grated orange rind and blend well. Fill in muffin tins a little more than half full. Bake as per instructions on bag.

  I have found an old Mennonite recipe for orange muffins that captures the flavor and essence of the ACL recipe. Although the ACL recipe did not call for the ground walnuts, they add a nice touch to the muffins:

  2 cups all purpose flour

  2 teaspoons baking powder

  ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  ½ cup white sugar

  1 Tablespoon grated orange zest

  2/3 cup orange juice

  ½ cup ground walnuts—optional

  ½ cup melted butter

  2 eggs

  Topping:

  1 Tablespoon melted butter

  ¼ cup packed brown sugar

  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, white sugar and grated orange peel. Stir in orange juice, ½ cup melted butter, eggs, and chopped nuts. Pour into 12 muffin cups. Combine 1 Tablespoon melted butter, ¼ cup brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle on top of each muffin. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

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  DRESSINGS (SALADS, POULTRY AND MEATS)

  CELERY DRESSING

  Remove crusts from oldest toast or stale bread available. Soak in cold water thoroughly, then squeeze as dry as possible. Mix to the bread, diced and sautéed lean ham trimmings, diced celery (ask pantryman for outside stalks), onions, and green peppers. Season with sage, salt, and white pepper. Add two raw whole eggs and mix well until smooth. Stuff turkey and place remaining dressing in baking pan covered with greased paper, moisten if necessary with stock, and bake until done.

  OYSTER DRESSING—Use standard grade oysters

  Use recipe above, then add for each loaf of bread, 18 blanched oysters, each cut into 4 pieces.

  CORNBREAD DRESSING

  Use recipe for Celery Dressing, replacing the bread with cornbread.

  CHEESE DRESSING—Ingredients for 1 quart

  12 ounces blue cheese (use BULK CHEESE)

  3½ cups French dressing

  1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  Break cheese into small pieces, then mash with fork. Add gradually the French dressing. When of a creamy consistency, stir in the Worcestershire sauce and transfer into a quart glass jar. Tightly cover and place in chill box. Shake well before using.

  THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING—Ingredients for 1 quart

  2 hard boiled eggs, yolks and whites, chopped fine

  2 green peppers chopped not too fine

  1½ cups mayonnaise

  1 cup chili sauce, strained

  With an egg whip, mix all ingredients well together in a bowl, then transfer into a quart glass jar. Cover tightly and keep in chill box.

  RUSSIAN DRESSING

  Same as Thousand Island, except to each quart of dressing add 2 teaspoons finely cut chives.

  SAGE DRESSING

  2 loaves of stale bread and equal amou
nt of cornbread

  1 cup diced celery

  4 eggs

  2 teaspoons of sage

  1 cup diced ham or bacon trimmings

  1 cup diced onions

  ½ branch chopped, washed parsley

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Old stale bread must be used if possible. Soak bread in just enough stock or broth to get it soft, and then squeeze dry. Sautee onions, diced ham or bacon, and celery until done, but do not brown or burn, and add to the soaked bread. Season with sage, salt and pepper, add the eggs and chopped parsley, and mix well. Moisten dressing with stock or chicken broth. Bake until light brown and moisten with stock, if necessary, while baking.

  VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

  1 onion, washed and chopped fine

  1 dill pickle, chopped very fine

  1 Tablespoon of parsley, washed and chopped very fine

  Mix all ingredients together and mix with three cups French dressing.

  PORK DRESSING

  Use dry bread if possible. Cut off all crust from loaf bread. Break up and sprinkle with cold water. Mince 2 onions, 2 outside stalks celery very fine and braise in a little fat until onions are soft but not browned. Next, add to the onions and celery, 1 teaspoonful of ground sage, salt, pepper, two teaspoons of chopped parsley, and two eggs. Mix well, then stuff chops.

  COAST LINE DRESSING

  The recipe for Coast Line Dressing has been lost to history. What information survives indicates that it was used on the red cabbage slaw as well as offered as a dressing for salads. This created a challenge. Red cabbage has a bit of a “bite” to it, while the lettuce in salads has a mostly neutral flavor. Creating a dressing to satisfy both flavor profiles was challenging and, unlike with the Hitching Post recipes, there was no description to work with as even a starting point. What I have created here is something that “works” with both; it’s sweet enough to give a complimentary flavor to red cabbage, yet it’s savory enough to be a good dressing for a tossed salad.

  COAST LINE DRESSING, RECREATED

  1 cup buttermilk

  1 cup Kraft Miracle Whip Salad Dressing*

  1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Mix**

  3 Tablespoons Sweet Relish

  1 Tablespoon chopped chives

  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Shake before using. Mayonnaise could be substituted for the Miracle Whip. I just think that the Miracle Whip adds to the flavor profile.

  *Miracle Whip Salad Dressing is a registered trademark of Kraft Foods.

  **Hidden Valley Ranch is a registered trademark of HV Food Products Company.

  SAUCES (MEAT, FISH, CHICKEN, DESSERTS, ETC.)

  CHEESE SAUCE

  ¼ cup butter

  ¾ cup flour

  1 quart milk (boiling)

  Pinch of dry mustard

  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  3 cups of grated American cheese

  Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour to make a roux; cook well; add milk slowly, stirring well to prevent lumps; add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, grated cheese, and salt and pepper seasoning; boil for a few minutes until cheese is melted.

  CIDER SAUCE

  3 outside stalks celery

  1 medium onion sliced

  1 teaspoon whole mixed spice

  2 Tablespoons cornstarch

  2 cups sweet cider

  1 cup tomato juice

  ½ cup apple jelly

  ½ cup sherry wine

  Put all ingredients, except cornstarch, in a saucepan and simmer for 25 minutes. Then add cornstarch, mixed with a little cider, let simmer for 5 minutes longer, then strain. Serve in gooseneck.

  COCKTAIL SAUCE (Seafood)

  1 bottle tomato catsup

  ½ cup horseradish

  Juice of 1 lemon

  Dash of Tabasco

  2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  Mix thoroughly and season with salt to taste.

  CREAM SAUCE

  1 cup flour

  ½ cup butter

  2 quarts milk, boiling

  Melt butter, add flour, and make roux. Let cook for at least 10 minutes. Add boiling milk gradually, stirring constantly to prevent sauce from getting lumpy. Cook for 30 minutes. Season with salt only. Strain into a jar or china crock. Add pieces of butter on top of the sauce to prevent the forming of a crust.

  CREOLE SAUCE

  2 onions chopped fine

  4 blades celery, chopped

  ¼ cup melted butter

  1 cup puree of tomatoes

  ¼ cup mushrooms

  1 teaspoon chopped parsley

  1 minced green pepper

  1 clove garlic

  ¼ cup sifted flour

  2 cups canned tomatoes

  1 bay leaf

  Sautee onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic in butter for five minutes. Blend ¼ cup sifted flour and stir well. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, mushrooms, and bay leaf. Season to taste. Cook slowly for 30 minutes. Add chopped parsley.

  CUMBERLAND SAUCE

  Make a brown roux and moisten with sufficient brown stock. Let simmer for several hours. Skim off grease and strain. Slice 1 peeled orange and 1 peeled lemon in very thin slices and then cut slices in julienne shape, blanch and drain. Add this and the juice of 2 oranges and 1 lemon to a quart of brown sauce. Let simmer until reduced to proper consistency, then finish with a cup of currant jelly and 2 Tablespoonfuls of French mustard.

  EGG SAUCE

  Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter, and add 3 Tablespoons of flour. Stir with whip until smooth. Add gradually 1½ cups of hot water or fish stock. Boil for 5 minutes. Add 1 ounce butter in small pieces, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 2 hard boiled eggs in thin slices. Blend well. Pour over fish at time of service.

  FRICASSEE SAUCE

  Strain ¾ gallon stock through a cloth. Place back on fire. In a separate pan, melt ¾ cup chicken fat, and use two cups flour to make a roux. When the fat has absorbed the flour, cook this mixture slowly for five or six minutes; then add the boiling stock a little at a time, whipping well as you add. Season with salt and white pepper. Remove from fire, and add 3 egg yolks well beaten into one cup of cream. When finished, the sauce should be thick enough to adhere to the meat.

  FRUIT SAUCE

  1 cup pineapple juice

  1 cup peach juice

  ½ cup sugar

  ¼ cup maple syrup

  2 cloves

  Nutmeg

  1 stick of cinnamon

  1 Tablespoon cornstarch

  2 cups equal amounts diced fruit, including:

  Orange segments

  Peeled apples

  Peaches

  Pineapple

  Seedless raisins

  Juice of 1 lemon

  Place pineapple juice, peach juice, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup maple syrup in a pot and bring to a boil. Add 2 cloves, a pinch of ground nutmeg, 1 stick of cinnamon about ½ inch long, and juice of 1 lemon. Simmer slowly and thicken slightly with 1Tablespoon cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water. Mix the 2 cups of equal amounts of the diced fruit. While syrup is still boiling, strain it over the diced fruit, and add a Tablespoon of stewed, seedless raisins. Cover and allow to cool. NOTE—Sugar quantity applies if natual or unsweetened fruit juices are used. If canned or preserved fruits are used, less sugar will be needed.

  HAVANAISE SAUCE

  Chop 3 shallots very fine and simmer in butter. Add ½ glass claret and reduce until almost dry. Then add 1 pint brown gravy and cook for 10 minutes. Add 2 pimentos, cut julienne. Before serving add 3 ounces butter, the juice of 1 lemon and chopped parsley.

  HORSERADISH SAUCE

  Make a roux with ½ cup flour and 1 kitchenspoon [4 tablespoons] of clear fat or butter. Cook 10 minutes, then add 1 quart boiling strained beef broth, stirring constantly, add ½ cup cream and cook 20 minutes, then strain into jar and add 1 kitchenspoon [4 tablespoons] horseradish and juice of ½ lemon. If prepared horseradish is used, be sure to squeeze
out all the vinegar.

  HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

  In a double boiler, work together ¼ cup water and 3 egg yolks, beat constantly with egg whip until emulsion is formed. Then take off fire, place on working table, and stir in ½ pound of warm melted butter (like you work oil into mayonnaise). Lastly, add juice of ½ lemon and season with salt. Larger quantities in proportion.

  MATRE D’HOTEL SAUCE

  Work 1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley and juice of 1 lemon into 1 cup of soft butter, and roll out mixture into a roll 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and chill. Chef is to place ½ inch slice on top of each portion of fish in kitchen at time of service.

  MEUNIERE BUTTER

  In a small black frying pan, melt butter (3 pieces cut table size for 2 orders). Then fry to a light brown and add strained juice of a half lemon. Pour brown butter over fish and sprinkle with finely chopped and washed parsley.