The Cook Book by “Oscar” of the Waldorf

Three thousand recipes from the maitre d'hotel of the Waldorf — the hotel kitchen that taught Gilded Age America how to dine, from beef tea to watermelon with champagne.

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Sanitary Soup

Trim off the exterior leaves of three large lettuces, wash the remainder and cut them into fine shreds. Wash and shred a small quantity of beetroot leaves, one handful each of chervil and celery leaves, and about two handfuls of sorrel leaves. Put two leeks and one sliced onion into a saucepan with a little butter and toss them over the fire until the butter has melted and commenced to boil; then throw in the beetroot, celery and lettuce leaves and fry them for ten minutes; add the sorrel and chervil, pour in two quarts of broth, boil it for fifteen minutes, then move the saucepan to the side of the fire and skim off all the fat. Put some thin slices of bread into a soup tureen, soak them with a little of the soup for a few minutes, then pour in the remainder and serve.

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