DIY History | Transcribe | Szathmary Culinary Manuscripts and Cookbooks | Alice Electa Pickard recipe book, 1868

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Page 172a

In the Young Housekeeper’s Friend by Mrs. Cornelius are a good many directions for the food for sick people – if any of the ladies have it, perhaps A. can find something she likes better.
Wash a small tea cup full sago & soak it an hour in a pint of cold water. Boil it till it is perfectly dissolved. This will take but a short time. Stir often & add more water if it is too thick. Can be made like the simplest gruel, with nothing to flavor but salt. Or you can add sugar, nutmeg, rosewater or currant or other acid jelly. When fruit can be taken, pare two tart apples, slice them thin into the sago before it is put to the fire. The apple will boil tender as soon as the sago. Should be eaten with sugar & milk or cream if allowed. What is called pearl sago is the best, & you can prepare pearl barley in the same way, but the barley requires more time to soak thoroughly. Alice used to love Jamaica arrow-root & I used to prepare it this way. Wet a large teaspoonful in a little cold water with half a salt spoon of salt. Pour on it a little boiling water (till it is thick like cream) half a pint to a large teaspoonful of tapioca. Sweeten with sugar & nutmeg if spice is allowed. Alice use to like me to add lemon juice & she would take it as lemonade.
If she craves tart things, roast some nice sour apples & pour boiling water on them. Cover till cold. When cold add a little sugar or salt as she prefers. It is best to drink when cold.

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In the Young Housekeeper’s Friend by Mrs. Cornelius are a good many directions for the food for sick people – if any of the ladies have it, perhaps A. can find something she likes better. Wash a small tea cup full sago & soak it an hour in a pint of cold water. Boil it till it is perfectly dissolved. This will take but a short time. Stir often & add more water if it is too thick. Can be made like the simplest gruel, with nothing to flavor but salt. Or you can add sugar, nutmeg, rosewater or currant or other acid jelly. When fruit can be taken, pare two tart apples, slice them thin into the sago before it is put to the fire. The apple will boil tender as soon as the sago. Should be eaten with sugar & milk or cream if allowed. What is called pearl sago is the best, & you can prepare pearl barley in the same way, but the barley requires more time to soak thoroughly. Alice used to love Jamaica arrow-root & I used to prepare it this way. Wet a large teaspoonful in a little cold water with half a salt spoon of salt. Pour on it a little boiling water (till it is thick like cream) half a pint to a large teaspoonful of tapioca. Sweeten with sugar & nutmeg if spice is allowed. Alice use to like me to add lemon juice & she would take it as lemonade. If she craves tart things, roast some nice sour apples & pour boiling water on them. Cover till cold. When cold add a little sugar or salt as she prefers. It is best to drink when cold.