Spinach, boiled
Butter
A few drops of lemon juice
Two egg yolks, beaten

For mushrooms
Mushrooms
Butter
A little flour
Salt, and pepper
Chicken broth stock,

For roux
One tablespoon of flour
One tablespoon of butter
Stock or milk one cup for every tablespoon of butter or flour
Juice of half a lemon

"Boil the spinach for a few moments, drain, squeeze out the water, then pound it well, and pass it through a fine colander. Put it into a saucepan with a lump of butter and a few drops of lemon juice. Let it boil for a few moments, then turn it into a dish and allow it to cool. When cold mix with it the beaten-up yolks of two eggs. Put them into a buttered mold, leaving an empty space in the middle. Bake in a slow oven for about an hour. When cooked turn it out onto a dish, and fill up the empty space with mushrooms,

which you have prepared as follows: Wash and clean a sufficient quantity of mushrooms and put them into a saucepan with a good-sized lump of butter, a little flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over a brisk fire for ten minutes. Moisten well with chicken broth or stock, and add some roux made as follows: Put one tablespoon of flour and one of butter into a saucepan, and cook until the flour has lost all raw taste. Then add stock or milk as desired, slowly ? one cup for every tablespoon of butter or flour ? and stir until smooth. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on the mushrooms, put them with their sauce into the spinach,

and serve."

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.

Back to main list