Two eggs, hard boiled
One tablespoon of butter
One and one-half tablespoons of flour
One-third of a cup of milk
Salt and pepper
Parsley, chopped fine
One-half tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
Bread crumbs and a little flour
Lard for frying

Additions (optional)
Polenta Fritters, Fried Pumpkin, Fried Squash, and
Parsnips may also be added or substituted if desired

"Hard boil two eggs, remove the shells, dry them, and cut the eggs in minute pieces. Put one tablespoon of butter into a saucepan, and when it is melted add one and one-half tablespoons of flour; stir constantly for a few moments over a slow fire with a wooden spoon, taking care that the flour does not color. Then pour in one-third of a cup of milk, in which you have put salt and pepper. Cool this sauce for eight or ten minutes, stirring continually to make it smooth, then remove from the fire, put in the chopped-up egg, some parsley chopped fine, and one-half tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. When you have mixed these ingredients well together, spread them out on a plate or marble and allow to cool. When this has become cold

and hardened, with a wooden spoon divide it into little portions about the size of a nut. Take these and roll them in dried bread crumbs and a little flour. Roll them all then, one at a time, with a rotary motion, and then elongate the balls until they are the shape of ordinary corks, then dip the croquettes into the egg, one at a time, then into bread crumbs again, and a few moments before serving fry in boiling lard. As soon as they are colored remove them immediately from the lard, otherwise they will break to pieces.

Polenta Fritters, Fried Pumpkin, Fried Squash, and

Parsnips may also be added or substituted if desired."

This recipe was taken from "Simple Italian Cookery" written by Antonia Isola (pen name for Mabel Earl McGinnis). It was published in the United States by Harper and Brothers in 1912. It is believed to be the first American cookbook that contains Italian recipes. For the complete copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org....Photo: Mary Melfi.

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