Two ounces of lean ham
A small piece of onion
A little celery
Stalks of parsley
One clove
One-half tablespoon of pepper
One half cup of vinegar
One half cup of beef bouillon
A teaspoon of potato flour
A teaspoon of French mustard
Some capers
Some chopped-up pickles

"Chop up fine two ounces of lean ham and a small piece of onion, add a little celery, the stalks of parsley, one clove, one-half tablespoon of pepper, and one half cup of vinegar. Cover the saucepan and allow it to boil until it has consumed one-half. Put into another saucepan one half cup of bouillon for water in which you have dissolved one tablespoon of extract of beef. Allow it to boil, and then thicken with a teaspoon of potato flour which has been diluted in a little cold water. Drop this, little by little, into the saucepan until you have gained the required thickness for the sauce. Then pour in the boiled vinegar, passing it through cheese-cloth. Mix well together and add a teaspoon of French mustard, some capers, and some chopped-up pickles. Serve hot with meats or tongue. The pepper should predominate in this sauce."

This recipe was taken from "Simple Italian Cookery" written by Antonia Isola (pen name for Mabel Earl McGinnis) and published in English 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 cookbook see www.archive.org.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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