24.—­Russian Beet Soup.

Boil 5 medium-sized beets until tender; then chop and add to a highly seasoned chicken broth.  Add the juice of 1 lemon, some cinnamon and nutmeg; let boil fifteen minutes.  Then add 1 glass of red wine, mixed with a teaspoonful of brown sugar.  Let boil a few minutes longer and serve with fried croutons.

25.—­Boulettes.

Chop and mince 1 pound of round steak, 1 onion and 2 sprigs of parsley.  Add 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 2 tablespoonfuls of melted butter.  Season highly with salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne.  Mix with 1 egg and form into balls; roll in flour and fry in deep hot lard until brown.  Serve hot with tomato-sauce.

26.—­Baden Stewed Lentils.

Boil 1 quart of lentils until tender; then heat 2 tablespoonfuls of butter.  Add 1 chopped onion and stir in 1 tablespoonful of flour until brown; add some cold water mixed with vinegar.  Let boil and pour the sauce over the lentils.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve with small boiled sausages.  Sprinkle the top with bread-crumbs fried in butter until brown.

27.—­Duck aux Champignons.

Clean and season a pair of wild ducks and cut into pieces at the joints.  Heat 2 tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan; add the ducks, 1 large onion chopped fine, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 herb bouquet chopped.  Cover and brown a few minutes; add 1 cup of water and stew until tender.  Then add 1/2 can of mushrooms and 1 glass of claret and let simmer until done.

28.—­Hungarian Beef Stew.

Cut beef into small pieces.  Heat some dripping in a saucepan; add the meat, salt and black pepper; cover and let stew half an hour.  Then add 3 potatoes cut into dice pieces, 1 onion sliced thin, 1 cup of hot water, and 1/2 teaspoonful of paprica.  Let all cook until tender.  Then add some chopped parsley and thicken the sauce with flour, mixed in 1/2 cup of milk.  Let cook a few minutes and serve hot.

MARCH.

1.—­Chicken Chop Suey (Chinese).

Cut all the meat of a chicken into thin strips; season with black pepper, and cayenne, and fry in hot lard.  Add some ham, onion, celery, green bean sprouts and mushrooms cut fine.  Moisten with 1/2 cup of stock.  Add 1/4 cup of Chinese sauce; cover and let simmer until tender.  Thicken the sauce with flour; add 2 tablespoonfuls of cream and chopped parsley.  Serve hot on a platter with boiled rice.

2.—­Jewish Shallet.

Line a well-buttered pudding-dish with a rich pie-paste and cover with a layer of sliced apples.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, grated lemon peel and small bits of butter, and moisten with white wine; then cover with a layer of the paste and fill with another layer of apples, nuts and raisins, a tablespoonful of syrup, the juice of 1/2 lemon and bits of butter.  Cover with the top crust; press in the edges with a beaten egg, and rub the top with butter.  Let bake in a moderate oven until done.