PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT BY JULIET CORSON. LIBRARY Michigan State University Gift of Mary R. Reynolds Handwritten Inscription Dining-room, with Table laid for Dinner. Illustration of a fancy dining room table set for dinner with various fancy dishes MISS CORSON'S PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY AND HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT. AN EVERY-DAY BOOK FOR AMERICAN HOUSEKEEPERS, GIVING THE MOST ACCEPTABLE ETIQUETTE OF AMERICAN HOSPITALITY, AND COMPREHENSIVE AND MINUTE DIRECTIONS FOR MARKETING, CARVING, AND GENERAL TABLE- SERVICE; TOGETHER WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR THE DIET OF CHILDREN AND THE SICK. BY MISS JULIET CORSON, AUTHOR OF 'THE COOKING-SCHOOL TEXT-BOOK AND HOUSEKEEPER'S GUIDE," "THE COOKING MANUAL," "MEALS FOR THE MILLION," "FIFTEEN AND TWENTY-FIVE CENT DINNERS," "DIET FOR INVALIDS AND CHILDREN," "THE WORKINGMAN'S DIETARY," "LOCAL AMERICAN COOKERY," "THE BAL- TIMORE COOKING RECIPES," ETC. NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD, AND COMPANY. COPYRIGHT, 1885, BY JULIET CORSON. All rights reserved. PREFACE. IN submitting this book to the public, the author carries out a long-cherished purpose, which had its inception in a suggestion made to her by the Hon. John Eaton, United-States Commissioner of Education, during a discussion concerning the cookery of America. The fact that the cookery of Europe, and especially of France, enters so largely into the author's scheme of teaching, and of constructing her books already published, was being commented upon; and in response to her statement that this was occasioned by the demands of the public, and not from any lack of variety or excellence in American cookery, the commissioner suggested the preparation of a work sufficiently broad in scope and minute in detail to verify her assertion that genuine American cookery is both wholesome and palatable, and has lost none of the traditional excellence which characterized it in our grandmothers' days. To facilitate the work, the commissioner caused the publication and extended circulation of the following correspondence:-- To the HON. JOHN EATON, U.S. Commissioner of Education, Bureau of Education, Dept. of the Interior, Washington, D.C. DEAR SIR,--I venture to ask your help in an educational matter of general public interest, and trust you will afford me such assistance as lies in your power. I have been, as you are aware, engaged for the past four years in the training of young women and girls in domestic economy, numbering among my pupils many ladies of our most prominent families. The results of this instruction have so successfully covered the local field of cookery in the North- eastern States, that I am in receipt of many communications urging me to adapt some of my special methods to the Southern and Western portions of the country. In consequence of marked social changes attendant on the civil war, a radical alteration is taking place in this department. In doing this work, I desire to combine rudimentary economical principles with the culinary excellence of local dishes. In order to proceed intelligently, I must depend largely on the kindness of persons best informed in regard to the specialties of the local market supply, and of such dishes as hold popular favor. In connection with this subject I venture to apply to you. Will you please aid me in communicating with these persons, in order, (1) that I may consult them in regard to the desirableness of establishing cooking-schools, and (2) that I may ask them for information concerning the following points:-- 1. Definite lists of the principal foods in local use, and their average market prices. 2. Accurate recipes for the preparation of such materials in popular dishes. 3. Recipes for favorite local dishes, and their names. 4. General information bearing on the subject. I shall consider such information of the greatest value to me in the preparation of the work I propose to issue, not for the use of families only, but also for the guidance of instructors in cooking in different parts of the country. With assurances of high esteem, I am Respectfully yours, JULIET CORSON, Superintendent New-York School of Cookery. OFFICE OF THE NEW-YORK SCHOOL OF COOKERY, UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK, Aug. 1878. Upon the receipt of Miss Corson's letter, Gen. Eaton caused the following circular letter to be issued from the Bureau of Education, and generally circulated throughout the country; addressing it to the heads of educational institutions, and to all persons of local prominence who seemed likely to be able to supply the information called for by Miss Corson:-- SIR,--I beg to call your attention to the enclosed copy of a letter received from Miss Juliet Corson, the superintendent of the New-York School of Cookery. I hope you may be able to make some valuable suggestions for her on one or more topics of special importance to her work. Miss Corson's ability, culture, wisdom in forming and executing her plans, her eminent qualifications in the theory and practice of cooking, and her success in organizing and conducting the school in New-York City and in preparing manuals upon the subject of cooking, give the best possible assurance that whatever information you can afford her upon points of her inquiry will be advantageously used. Any suggestions you may make for her use can be sent to this office in the enclosed envelope, and will be forwarded to her. Very respectfully yours, JOHN EATON, Commissioner, Per C. W. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU OF EDUCATION, WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 31, 1878. The material which came in response to this correspondence was abundant. The author has augmented it in the spring and fall lecture and lesson tours she has taken to many parts of the country during the intervening years; she has also availed herself of recipes communicated to her by personal friends, and drawn from local and private collections. Like every person absorbed in the advancement of a special line of work, she has appropriated every hint offered her: the only personal credit to which she is entitled is for the scrupulous fidelity with which she has tested the methods given, and verified every statement which she makes. If the directions seem verbose, the fact must be remembered that the greater number of cookery-books fail to meet the demands of housewives, because they are indefinite; and they are especially trying to those who have yet to gain the judgment and experience which too many writers on domestic subjects seem to take for granted. The author aims, above all, to be clear and precise; to give such simple methods that a person of the most ordinary intelligence can follow them. She guarantees that the promised results will always be attained if the directions are closely adhered to; the only latitude allowed is in the matter of seasoning, which is left more or less to the judgment of the cook, who must be guided by the taste of those for whom she caters. And in regard to the use of wine, in this last question, the author suggests that where the use of wine is not desirable, some dish should be chosen into the composition of which it does not enter; because, unless it is so definitely stated in the recipe, there is no flavoring or seasoning which can replace it without altering the character of the dish. There are many delicious dishes which require no wine,--so many, indeed, that the author has repeatedly offered to supply to any temperance society which would publish it, a good Temperance Cookery-Book, the use of which would do much to advance the cause whose advocates urge her to espouse it, forgetting that, as a teacher of cookery, she is not at liberty to accept or reject any available edible substance because of personal preference or disapproval. Of the engravings, some are original; the rest are copied from the works of the best European writers on cookery. In conclusion, the author begs a cordial reception for this book in the name of the Forest City Housewife and her sister host of culinary experts whose best knowledge and perfected experience it embodies. NEW YORK, 1886. CONTENTS. PART I. CHAPTER I. THE KITCHEN, PANTRY, AND CELLAR. PAGE The Kitchen.................... I The Pantry..................... 5 The Refrigerator............... 7 The Cellar..................... 9 The Care of Milk and But- ter............................ II CHAPTER II. MARKETING. The Preparation of Meat for Market........................ 17 Good Points in Meats.......... 20 Beef.......................... 22 Veal.......................... 25 Lamb.......................... 28 Mutton........................ 30 Pork.......................... 32 Poultry....................... 34 Game-Birds.................... 36 Game.......................... 36 Fish.......................... 37 Vegetables and Fruit.......... 38 Dairy Products and Groce- ries.......................... 39 CHAPTER III. METHODS OF COOKING. Roasting...................... 40 Baking........................ 42 Broiling...................... 44 Frying........................ 45 Boiling....................... 46 Steaming...................... 47 Braising...................... 47 Blanching..................... 48 Glazing and Gliding........... 48 Larding and Daubing........... 48 Barding....................... 49 Boning........................ 49 CHAPTER IV. CARVING. PAGE Whole Fish.................... 52 Head and Shoulders of Fish.... 53 Fish Larded and Baked......... 54 Half Large Boiled Fish........ 54 Whole Turbot Garnished........ 55 Poultry....................... 56 Larded Fowl................... 57 To Carve Roast Turkey......... 58 Turkey Partly Boned........... 59 How to Carve Ducks............ 59 How to Carve Roast Goose...... 60 Game-Birds.................... 61 Meats......................... 62 Mutton Boned and Stuffed...... 62 Saddle of Mutton Larded....... 63 Round of Beef................. 64 Sirloin of Beef............... 64 Ribs or Sirloin of Beef Boned. 65 Beef-Tongues Garnished........ 66 Roast Ham..................... 67 Cold Ham with Aspic Jelly..... 67 Hand or Leg of Young Pork..... 68 Saddle of Venison............. 68 Larded Saddle of Venison...... 69 Larded Shoulder of Venison.... 70 Barded Hare................... 70 Larded Hare................... 71 CHAPTER V. THE DINING-ROOM AND ITS FITTINGS. A Very Simple Dining- Room.......................... 74 Decorative Art the Reflex of Nature........................ 76 Sideboards and Tables......... 77 Decorations of China and Plate......................... 79 Chairs for the Dining-Room.... 81 Windows and Draperies......... 81 Light in the Dining-Room...... 82 Dining-Room Floors............ 83 Sawdust Scrubbing............. 84 Dry Scrubbing with Sand....... 84 How to Prepare Floors for Oiling and Staining........... 85 Oiling Hard-Wood Floors....... 85 Polishing Hard-Wood Floors.... 86 Staining Wooden Floors........ 86 Sizing Stained Floors......... 87 Varnishing Stained Floors..... 87 Black Varnish for Wood........ 87 Painted Floors................ 88 CHAPTER VI. THE DINNER-TABLE AND ITS APPOINTMENTS. Tablecloths................... 90 Table-Napkins................. 92 Washing Table-Linen........... 94 Silver and Cutlery............ 95 China and Glass............... 99 CHAPTER VII. LAYING AND SERVING THE TABLE. CHAPTER VIII. FLOWERS, BILLS OF FARE, AND WINES. PAGE Flowers at Table............ 110 Menus, or Bills of Fare..... 112 The Service of Dishes....... 116 The English Dinner-Service.. 119 The Service of Dinner à la Russe....................... 121 The Dinner-Service as Shown on Menu Cards......... 122 Menu........................ 123 English Bill of Fare for Din- ner à la Russe........ 124 The American Dinner......... 125 Bill of Fare for American Dinner...................... 128 Bill of Fare................ 129 Dinner Wines................ 130 CHAPTER IX. THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS. CHAPTER X. THE ETIQUETTE OF VARIOUS ENTERTAINMENTS. Large Breakfasts............ 142 Bill of Fare................ 144 The Family Breakfast........ 144 Family Luncheon............. 146 Luncheon Parties............ 147 Bill of Fare................ 148 Afternoon Receptions........ 149 Afternoon Teas.............. 150 Family Teas................. 152 Gentlemen's Suppers......... 152 Supper Parties.............. 153 Evening Parties............. 154 Cindrella Parties........... 154 Card Parties................ 155 Calling During Entertain- ments....................... 155 New Year's Receptions....... 155 Wedding Receptions and Breakfasts.................. 156 Country-House Parties....... 158 Garden and Lawn Parties..... 160 PART II. CHAPTER I. SMALL SHELL-FISH. Shell-Fish on the Half-Shell (Huîtres) ............. 163 Oysters on the Half Shell... 163 Oysters in a Block of Ice... 164 Oysters in Ice.............. 165 Cold Canned Oysters......... 166 Little-Neck Clams on the Half-Shell.............. 166 CHAPTER II. SOUPS (Potage). PAGE Soup Stock.................. 168 Clear Soup or ConsommÉ...... 170 The Clarifying of Fat....... 171 Caramel..................... 171 Bouillon.................... 171 Clear Soup with Royale Paste....................... 172 Spring Soup with Vegetables. 172 Case of Vegetables Cutters.. 173 Ox-Tail Soup................ 173 Mock Turtle Soup............ 174 Brown Turkey Soup........... 175 Chicken Soup................ 176 PurÉe Sieve. ................ 177 Chicken and Rice Soup, or Potage à la Reine............ 177 Cream of Asparagus.......... 178 Onion Soup.................. 178 Celery Soup................. 179 Cream of Fresh Mushrooms.... 179 Cream of Cauliflowers....... 180 Bain-Marie. ................. 181 Tomato Cream Soup........... 181 String-Bean Soup............ 182 Green-Pea Soup.............. 182 Okra Soup with Crabs........ 183 Okra Soup with Beef......... 184 Dried Okra Soup............. 184 Ham and Pea Soup............ 185 Dried Bean Soup............. 185 Turtle Bean Soup............ 186 Oyster Cream Soup.......... 187 Fried Crusts for Soup....... 187 Oyster Soup with Eggs....... 188 Soft Clam Soup with To- matoes...................... 188 Cream of Fluke.............. 189 Crayfish Soup or Bisque..... 189 Bisque of Prawns............ 190 Lobster Soup................ 191 Crab Soup................... 191 Terrapin Clear Soup......... 192 How to Kill Green Turtle.... 192 How to Boil Green Turtle.... 194 Green Turtle Soup-Stock..... 194 Green Turtle Thick Soup..... 196 Egg-Balls for Soup.......... 196 Forcemeat-Balls for Soup.... 196 Green Turtle Clear Soup..... 197 CHAPTER III. FISH AND SHELL-FISH (Poisson). How to Thaw Frozen Fish..... 199 Large Fish Boiled in Slices. 199 Boiled Turbot with Lobster Sauce....................... 200 Lobster Sauce............... 200 Boiled Halibut.............. 200 Fried Halibut............... 201 Fluke Boned and Baked....... 201 Bluefish Baked Whole........ 202 Slices of Fish Boiled....... 203 Shrimp or Prawn Sauce....... 204 White Sauce................. 204 Boiled Pike with Caper Sauce....................... 204 Caper Sauce................. 205 Pike........................ 205 Pickerel.................... 205 Fried Blackfish............. 205 Larded Fish................. 206 Fried Cod and Haddock....... 206 Troncon of Fish............. 206 Boiled Bass................. 207 Hot Mustard Sauce........... 207 Bass........................ 208 Boiled Sheep's-Head......... 208 Cream Sauce................. 208 Redsnapper.................. 209 Whitefish................... 209 Darne of Salmon............. 209 Boiled Salmon............... 210 PAGE Anchovy Sauce............... 210 Salmon...................... 210 Fresh Mackerel Fried........ 210 Spanish Mackerel Broiled.... 211 Broiled Pompano, Cucum- ber Sauce................... 211 Cucumber sauce.............. 212 To Keep Shad Overnight...... 212 Broiled Shad................ 212 Fried Shad.................. 213 Shad-Roe.................... 213 Eels........................ 214 Fried Smelts on Skewers. .... 214 Broiled Smelts.............. 215 Fried Butterfish............ 215 American White-Bait......... 216 Old Style of Frying White- Bait........................ 216 Trout with Cream Gravy...... 217 Fried Trout................. 217 Boiled Trout................ 217 New England Fish-Chowder.... 217 Clam-Chowder................ 218 Salt-Fish Dinner............ 219 Melted Butter............... 219 Salt-Fish Hash.............. 220 Cod's Tongues with Egg Sauce....................... 220 Boiled Salt Mackerel with Butter...................... 221 Clarified Butter............ 221 Dried Salmon................ 222 Salted Shad................. 222 Diamond-Back Terrapin....... 222 How to Boil Terrapin........ 223 How to Dress Terrapin....... 224 Brown Stew of Terrapin...... 224 Stewed Terrapin with Cream.. 225 Green Turtle................ 225 Green Turtle Fried.......... 226 To Prepare Frog's Legs...... 226 Boiled Lobster.............. 227 Scalloped Lobster........... 227 Scalloped Lobster in Shells. 228 Lobster Chops or Cutlets.... 228 Scalloped Prawns or Shrimp.. 229 Soft-Shell Crabs Fried...... 229 Soft-Shell Crabs Broiled.... 230 Crabs Scalloped............. 230 Devilled Crabs.............. 231 Kromeskeys of Crab.......... 232 Mussels..................... 233 Scallops Fried in Indian Meal........................ 234 Fried Soft Clams............ 234 Scalloped Clams............. 234 Clam Fritters............... 235 Oyster Patties.............. 235 Fried Oysters............... 236 Roast Oysters............... 237 Stewed Oysters.............. 238 Pickled Oysters............. 238 Vol-au-vent of Oysters...... 239 Ragôut of Oysters for Vol- au-vent..................... 240 CHAPTER IV. RELISHES (Hors-d'auvres). Timbales, Patties. BouchÉes, Rissoles and Cockscombs..... 242 Tongue Toast................ 243 Ham Toast................... 243 Caviare Toast............... 243 Smoked Fish for Relishes.... 244 Sandwich Butter............. 244 Sandwiches.................. 245 CanapÉes.................... 245 BouchÉes.................... 245 Rissoles.................... 245 Spiced Veal................. 245 Veal Loaf................... 246 Jellied Chicken............. 246 Pickled Chicken............. 247 Peanuts Roasted with Salt... 247 Salted Almonds.............. 247 Walnuts and Wine............ 248 Girard Boiled Chestnuts..... 249 The Girard Nut Sandwich..... 249 Welsh Rarebit............... 249 PAGE Golden Buck................. 250 Yorkshire Rarebit........... 250 Cheese Straws and Crusts.... 250 Cheese Puffs................ 251 Potted Cheese............... 252 Easter Eggs................. 252 Hard-Boiled Eggs............ 253 Turkey, Geese, and Duck Eggs........................ 253 Steamed Eggs................ 253 Broiled Eggs................ 253 Shirred Eggs................ 254 Poached Eggs with Ham....... 254 Frizzled Beef and Eggs...... 255 Fried Eggs.................. 255 Scrambled Eggs.............. 255 Omelets..................... 255 Sardine Omelet.............. 256 Omelet with Mushrooms....... 256 Rice Omelet................. 257 Omelet with Jelly........... 257 Pineapple Omelet............ 258 Tomato Catsup............... 258 Sealing-Wax for Pickle Jars. 258 Cucumber Catsup............. 258 Oyster Catsup............... 259 Chili Sauce................. 259 Chow-Chow................... 260 Pickled Cabbage............. 260 Pickled Tomatoes............ 260 Ripe Tomato Pickles......... 261 Sweet Pickle of Beets....... 261 Pickled Onions.............. 262 Grated Cucumber Pickle...... 262 Spiced Gherkins............. 263 Pickled Martinoes........... 264 Pickled Peaches............. 264 Peach Mangoes............... 265 Damson Sauce for Meats...... 265 Cider Apple-Sauce........... 266 Quince and Apple Butter..... 266 Pumpkin Sauce............... 266 CHAPTER V. SIDE-DISHES OF MEAT, POULTRY AND GAME (EntrÉes). Broiled Round of Beef....... 268 Porterhouse Steak Broiled... 268 Fried Beefsteak with Onion Sauce....................... 268 Brown Onion Sauce........... 269 Beefsteak Smothered in Onions...................... 269 Cold Roast Beef Broiled..... 270 Cold Roast Beef Fried....... 270 How to Clean Tripe.......... 270 Rolls of Tripe, Creole Style 272 Beef-Kidney Broiled with Bacon....................... 273 Beef-Kidney Stewed.......... 273 Fried Liver and Bacon with Spinach..................... 273 Calf's Liver Rolls.......... 274 Cutlets CloutÉ with Truffles 275 Cutlets with Truffles, Garnished................... 276 Veal Cutlet Breaded, with Tomatoes.................... 277 Veal Pot-Pie................ 277 Fricandeau of Veal, Larded.. 278 Larded Fricandeaux, Gar- nished...................... 280 Sweetbread Croquettes....... 281 Brain Croquettes............ 282 Broiled Sweetbreads......... 282 Fried Sweetbreads........... 282 Sweetbreads in the Chafing- Dish........................ 283 Ragoût of Sweetbreads and Mushrooms for Vol-au-Vent... 283 How to Boil Calf's Head and Feet.................... 283 Calf's Head like Turtle..... 284 Broiled Calf's Head......... 285 Calf's Brains............... 286 Fried Brains................ 286 Calf's Tongue and Brains.... 286 Lamb Cutlets with Finan- cière Ragoût................ 287 Broiled Lamb Cutlets with Mint Sauce.................. 287 PAGE Lamb Cutlets in Paper....... 288 Frizzled Mutton............. 289 Broiled Mutton Chops........ 289 Fried Mutton Chops.......... 289 Paper Frills for the Bones of Chops, etc.................. 290 Pork Chops and Apples....... 291 Minced Fresh Pork........... 291 Fried Sour Apples........... 292 Jowl........................ 292 Fried Salt Pork and Apples.. 292 Corned-Beef Hash, New- England Style............... 293 Frizzled Beef............... 293 Frizzled Ham................ 293 Fried Ham................... 294 Broiled Ham................. 294 Game Pie.................... 294 Reed-Bird Pie............... 296 Stewed Snipe................ 296 Prairie Chickens Stewed Whole....................... 297 Boiled Partridge with Cream Sauce....................... 297 Stewed Squirrels............ 297 Squirrel-Pie................ 298 Fricasse of Rabbits......... 299 Venison in Chafing-Dish. .... 299 Forest City Sauce........... 299 Frizzled Venison............ 299 Pastry for Meat and Game Pies........................ 300 Venison Pie................. 300 Venison Pasty............... 301 Broiled Spring Chicken with Cauliflower................. 302 Spring Chicken Fried in Cream....................... 303 Chicken Fried with Okra..... 303 Boiled Rice................. 304 Chicken Fried with Salt Pork 304 Fricassee of Chicken........ 305 Pullet with Toulouse Ragoût. 305 Chicken Quenelles........... 305 Chicken-Pie................. 306 Chicken Croquettes.......... 307 Turkey-Hash................. 309 Stewed or Potted Pigeons.... 309 Squab-Pie................... 310 Foie-Gras with Truffles..... 310 Truffles.................... 311 CHAPTER VI. REMOVES OF MEAT AND POULTRY (RelevÉs). Ribs of Beef Boned and Rolled...................... 312 Baked Beef.................. 314 Beef à la Mode, with Stuff- ing......................... 314 Beef à la Daube............. 315 Larded Filet of Beef with Tomatoes.................... 315 Tenderloin of Beef with Spa- ghetti, Milanaise Style..... 316 Fresh Tongue, Boiled........ 316 Robert Sauce................ 317 Hind-Quarter of Veal........ 317 Larded Cantons of Lamb...... 318 Boiled Mutton............... 319 Baked Fresh Pork............ 319 Baked Pork with Potatoes.... 321 Baked Tenderloins........... 321 Baked Sweet Potatoes........ 322 Stuffed Apples.............. 322 Hand of Fresh Pork.......... 322 Broiled Pork with Chili Sauce....................... 323 Chili Sauce................. 323 How to Dress a Roasting-Pig. 323 Baked Sucking-Pig........... 324 Salting and Smoking Meat.... 325 Salting Meat for Smoking.... 328 How to Pickle Meat.......... 329 Smoking Meat................ 329 Knickerbocker Dried Beef.... 329 How to Cure Hams............ 330 Ham Cooked in Cider......... 331 Plain Boiled Ham............ 331 Baked or Roast Ham.......... 331 PAGE To Smoke a Mutton Ham....... 332 Boiled Mutton Ham........... 332 New-England Salt Pork....... 332 How to Try Out Lard......... 333 Boiled Pork and Parsneps.... 334 Old New-York Style of Cur- ing Bacon................... 334 Boiled Bacon and Cabbage.... 335 Boar's Head................. 335 A New-England Boiled Dinner. 337 Corned Beef Brisket......... 338 Mustard Sauce............... 338 Beef's Heart, Corned........ 339 Pickled Beef's Tongues...... 340 Boiled Tongue............... 340 Baked Tongue................ 340 Boiled Turkey with Oyster Sauce....................... 340 Oyster Sauce................ 341 Boiled Turkey with Celery Sauce....................... 341 Boiled Chicken.............. 341 Cream Onion Sauce........... 342 How to Preserve Baked and Roasted Meats................ 342 CHAPTER VII. ROASTS (Rôtis). Roast Beef.................. 344 Roast Lamb with Sorrel-Sauce 345 Sorrel-Sauce................ 345 Hind-Quarter of Lamb........ 346 Roast Lamb.................. 346 Saddle of Lamb Roasted...... 347 Cucumber Sauce.............. 347 Saddle of Mutton............ 347 Bear Meat................... 348 Buffalo..................... 348 Broiled Venison............. 348 Fried Venison............... 349 Baked Saddle of Venison..... 349 Roast Venison............... 349 Larded Saddle of Venison.... 350 Shoulder of Venison Larded.. 350 How to Skin Rabbits, Hares, and Squirrels............... 350 Hare Barded and Roasted..... 351 Hare Larded and Baked....... 351 Ortolans, or Snow-Buntings.. 352 Broiled Ortolans............ 352 Fried Reed-Birds............ 353 Broiled Reed-Birds.......... 353 Woodcock on Toast........... 353 Fried Woodcock.............. 354 Snipe Fried in Oil.......... 354 Snipe Broiled Whole......... 355 Roast Plover................ 355 Quail Barded and Roasted.... 356 Roast Quail................. 356 Baked Quail................. 357 Broiled Canvas-Back Duck.... 357 Roast Canvas-Back Duck...... 358 Canvas-Back Duck, Phila- delphia Style............... 358 Broiled Canvas-Back Duck, Delmonico Style.............. 358 Roast Wild Duck.............. 358 Filets of Wild Duck, with Orange-Sauce................. 359 Roast Widgeon................ 359 Orange Essence Sauce......... 359 Roast Teal................... 360 Onion-Sauce.................. 360 Roast Prairie Chickens or Grouse...................... 360 Prairie Chickens Broiled.... 361 Broiled Partridge........... 361 Roast Partridge............. 362 Roast Ptarmigan............. 362 Pheasants Garnished with Snipe....................... 362 Roast Guinea-Fowl........... 363 Boned Squabs and Pigeons.... 363 Roast Turkey Poult.......... 364 Roast Turkey................ 365 Giblet Stuffing............. 365 Salt-Pork Stuffing.......... 365 Suet Stuffing............... 365 Potato Stuffing............. 366 PAGE Roast Turkey Partly Boned.... 366 Oyster Force-Meat........... 367 Roast Turkey with Truffles.. 367 Larded Turkey............... 368 Implements for Larding and Trussing.................... 369 Spring Chicken, Broiled..... 369 Barded Chicken or Game...... 370 Spring Chicken, Baked....... 370 roast Chicken with chestnuts 371 Roast Goose and Gosling..... 371 Green Apple Sauce........... 371 Sorrel-Sauce................ 372 Gooseberry-Sauce............ 372 Green Sauce for Goslings or Geese....................... 372 Brown gravy for Roast Goose or Gosling............ 373 Giblet Gravy for Roast Goose or Gosling............ 373 Ducklings, or Spring Ducks.. 374 Roast Ducklings with Or- ange Sauce.................. 374 Duckling with Onions........ 374 Duck with Orange Sauce...... 375 Orange Sauce................ 375 CHAPTER VIII. SALADS AND VEGETABLES (Salades et Entremêts.) Watercress Salad............ 378 French Salad Dressing....... 378 Sliced Cucumbers............ 379 Cream Salad Dressing........ 379 Pepper Salad................ 379 Onion and Tomato Salad...... 379 Vegetable Scoops. ........... 380 Tomatoes with Mayonnaise.... 380 Cold Slaw................... 382 Hot Slaw.................... 382 Cheese Salad................ 382 Salads of Cooked Vegetables. 382 Potato Salad................ 383 American Potato Salad....... 383 Beet and Potato Salad....... 383 Salad of French Beans....... 384 Jerusalem Artichoke Salad... 384 Fruit Salads................ 384 Mayonnaise for Salad........ 385 Salmon Salad................ 386 Chicken Salad............... 386 Sweetbread Salad............ 387 Oyster Salad................ 387 Shad-Roe Salad.............. 387 Shrimp Salad................ 387 Hot Lobster Salad........... 388 Lobster Salad............... 389 New Potatoes................ 389 Bermuda Potatoes............ 390 Boiled Potatoes............. 390 Baked Potatoes.............. 391 Mashed Potatoes............. 391 Potato Straws............... 391 Brown Hashed Potatoes....... 392 Fried Potatoes.............. 392 Saratoga Potatoes........... 392 Julienne Potatoes........... 393 Fluted Vegetable Knife. ..... 393 Sweet Potatoes Fried with Pork........................ 394 Boiled Sweet Potatoes....... 394 Stuffed Sweet Potatoes...... 394 Sweet Potato Pudding........ 395 Jerusalem Artichokes........ 395 Globe Artichokes............ 396 Globe Artichokes, Boiled.... 397 Dutch or Hollandaise Sauce.. 398 Green Pease, Boiled......... 398 Sugar Pease................. 399 Canned Pease................ 399 String-Beans................ 399 Canned String-Beans......... 400 Stewed Butter-Beans......... 400 Lima Beans.................. 400 Stewed Kidney-Beans......... 401 Dried White Beans........... 401 Green Corn Boiled........... 402 How to Warm Cold Corn....... 402 Green Corn-Roasted.......... 402 Green Corn-Stewed........... 403 PAGE Green Corn Pudding.......... 403 Green Corn Griddle-Cakes and Fritters................ 403 Succotash................... 404 How to Can Corn............. 404 Dried Corn.................. 405 Canned Corn, Stewed......... 405 Dried Corn Hulled with Lye.. 405 Dried Corn Hulled with Sal- eratus...................... 406 Stewed Hominy............... 406 Succotash from Dried Samp and Beans................... 406 Succotash of Dried Corn and Beans....................... 407 Oyster-Plant with Cream..... 407 Sea-Kale.................... 408 Asparagus................... 408 Asparagus with Dutch Sauce.. 409 Sugar Beets Boiled.......... 409 New Turnips................. 410 Carrots..................... 410 Mushrooms................... 411 Fresh Mushrooms Broiled..... 415 Fresh Mushrooms Baked....... 415 Mushrooms Stems Stewed...... 415 To Dry Fresh Mushrooms...... 416 Mushroom Powder............. 416 Canned Mushrooms with Cream Sauce................. 416 Morels...................... 417 Stuffed Morels.............. 418 Mushroom Brown Sauce........ 418 Fried Cucumbers on Toast.... 418 Cucumbers Stuffed with Mar- row......................... 419 Egg-Plant Fried in Butter... 419 Egg-Plant Fried in Batter... 419 Scalloped Egg-Plant......... 420 Baked Egg-Plant............. 421 Boiled Cabbage.............. 421 Fried Cabbage............... 421 Red Cabbage Stewed.......... 422 Sauerkraut.................. 422 Cauliflower................. 423 Spinach..................... 424 Boiled Turnip-Tops.......... 424 Boiled Celery............... 425 Butter and Lemon Sauce...... 425 Celery with Remoulade Sauce. 426 German Remoulade Sauce...... 426 Green Remoulade Sauce....... 426 Celery Fritters............. 427 Fried Parsley............... 427 Okra........................ 427 Green Peppers, Stuffed and Baked....................... 428 Stuffed Tomatoes............ 428 Fried Tomatoes with Brown Gravy....................... 429 Broiled Tomatoes............ 429 Stewed Tomatoes............. 430 Canned Tomatoes............. 430 Parsneps with Cream......... 431 Salt Pork and Parsneps...... 431 Broiled Parsneps............ 431 Bermuda Onions Boiled....... 432 Boiled Onions............... 432 Spanish Onions Fried........ 432 Scalloped Onions............ 432 Boiled Leeks................ 433 Boiled Squash............... 433 Baked Yellow Squash......... 434 Summer Squash............... 434 Summer Squash Stewed........ 434 Macaroni and Spaghetti...... 435 CHAPTER IX. SECOND-COURSE SWEETS (Entremêts). St. HonorÉ Cake............. 436 St. HonorÉ Custard.......... 437 To GlaçÉ Fruit.............. 438 St. HonorÉ Cake, to Shape... 438 Rum Buns.................... 439 Bath Buns................... 440 Brioche..................... 440 Brioche Ring................ 442 PAGE Almond Macaroons............ 443 Almond Biscuit.............. 443 Almond Cake................. 443 Lady Cake................... 444 Pineapple Cake.............. 444 Orange Cake................. 444 Citron Pound Cake........... 444 Plum Cake................... 445 Sponge Cake................. 445 Lady-Fingers................ 447 Charlotte Russe............. 447 Whipped Cream............... 448 Paper Cases for Small Char- lottes...................... 449 Cake Baked in Paper......... 449 Plain Icing for Cakes....... 451 Boiled Icing................ 451 Tutti Frutti Icing.......... 451 Confectioner's Icing........ 451 Fruit Icing................. 452 Fruit-Cream Icing........... 452 Corn-Starch Icing........... 452 Almond Icing................ 452 Paper Cones for Icing....... 452 Omelette SoufflÉ............ 454 Almond SoufflÉ.............. 455 Salamanders................. 457 Boiled and Steamed Puddings. 457 Hot Cabinet-Pudding, Rum Sauce....................... 458 Forest-City Rum Sauce....... 458 Christmas Plum-Pudding...... 459 Brandy Sauce................ 460 Boiled Batter-Pudding....... 460 Fruit Sauce................. 461 Brandy Hard Sauce........... 461 Boiled Bread-Pudding........ 461 Caramel Sauce............... 461 Boiled Apple-Pudding........ 462 Egg Pudding-Sauce........... 462 Boiled Huckleberry-Pud- ding, with Eggs............. 462 Berry Sauce................. 463 Boiled Rice Dumplings....... 463 Maple-Sugar Sauce........... 464 Baked Puddings.............. 464 Baked Plum-Pudding.......... 464 Baked Indian-Pudding........ 465 Lemon-Pudding............... 465 Cocoanut-Pudding with Sponge-Cake................. 465 Grape-Pudding............... 466 Marlborough-Pudding......... 466 Pies and Tarts.............. 466 Puff-Paste.................. 467 PatÉ d'Office............... 471 Fruit Patties............... 472 Cream Crust................. 472 Lard Pie-Crust.............. 474 Good Plain Pastry........... 474 Christmas Mince-Meat........ 476 Plain Mince-Meat............ 477 Fruit Mince-Pies............ 478 Apple and Pie-Plant Pie..... 478 Rhubarb-Pie, New-England Style....................... 479 Cherry-Tart................. 479 Raspberry-Pie............... 481 Gooseberry-Tart............. 481 Forest-City Lemon-Pie....... 481 Sweet-Potato Pie, Philadel- phia Style.................. 482 Squash-Pie.................. 482 Pumpkin-Pie................. 483 Peach Tarts................. 483 Pineapple Tarts............. 484 Baked Apple Dumplings....... 484 Pear Dumplings.............. 485 Fresh Apple Pan-Dowdy....... 485 Dried Apple Pan-Dowdy....... 485 Hot and Cold Breads, Frit- ters and Griddle-Cakes...... 486 Home-Made Bread............. 486 Compressed-Yeast Bread...... 487 Breakfast Rolls............. 489 Potato Rolls................ 490 Parker-House Rolls.......... 491 Astor-House Rolls........... 491 Baking-Powder Biscuit....... 492 Buttermilk Biscuit.......... 492 Beaten Biscuit.............. 492 Raised Biscuit.............. 493 Graham Gems and Biscuit..... 493 Raised Graham Biscuit....... 494 Huckleberry Biscuit......... 494 Sour-Cream Biscuit.......... 494 Shotcakes................... 494 PAGE Raised Shortcake............ 495 Egg Corn-Bread.............. 495 New-England Corn-Bread...... 496 New-England Brown-Bread..... 496 Graham and Indian Bread..... 496 Raised Graham Bread......... 497 Raised Sweet-Potato Bread... 497 Sweet-Potato Pone........... 498 Wheat Muffins............... 498 Raised Muffins.............. 498 Rye Muffins................. 499 Pop-Overs................... 499 Egg-Puffs................... 500 Raised Waffles.............. 500 Sweet-Potato Waffles........ 500 Corn Waffles................ 500 Rice Waffles................ 501 Raised Rice Waffles......... 501 Rice Pancakes............... 501 Fried Rice.................. 501 Fried Bread................. 502 Fritter Batter.............. 502 Orange Fritters............. 502 Pineapple Fritters.......... 503 Old-Fashioned Doughnuts..... 503 New-England Fried-Cakes..... 504 Whortleberry Fried-Cakes.... 504 Crullers with Eggs.......... 505 Crullers With Baking-Powder. 506 Pan-Doddles................. 507 Indian Slap-Jacks........... 507 Army Slap-Jacks............. 508 Buckwheat Cakes............. 508 Raised Buckwheat Cakes...... 508 Indian Griddle-Cakes........ 508 Spider-Cake................. 509 Huckleberry Spider-Cake..... 509 Spider-Cake Toast........... 510 Butter Toast................ 510 Milk Toast.................. 510 Water Toast................. 511 CHAPTER X. DESSERT (Dessert). Cream MÉringues............. 512 Italian Cream............... 513 Cannelons with Cream........ 514 Bavarian Cream.............. 514 Calf's-Foot Jelly........... 515 Madeira Jelly............... 516 Noyeau Jelly................ 516 Oranges with Jelly.......... 517 Chartreuse of Candied Or- anges....................... 517 Spinning Sugar.............. 518 Degrees of boiling Sugar.... 520 The Thread.................. 520 The Pearl................... 520 The Blow.................... 520 The Feather................. 521 The Ball.................... 521 The Crack................... 521 Caramel..................... 521 To Prevent Granulation in Boiling Sugar............... 521 Nougat...................... 522 How to Reduce Boiling Sugar a Degree.............. 522 Freezing-Tub for Frozen Puddings.................... 523 Frozen Cabinet-Pudding...... 523 Confectioners' Nesselrode Pudding..................... 524 Francatelli's Nesselrode Pudding..................... 525 Coffee Bombe................ 525 Ice-Creams.................. 526 Plain Ice-Cream............. 527 Frozen Custard.............. 527 Philadelphia Ice-Cream...... 527 Vanilla Ice-Cream........... 528 French Ice-Cream............ 528 Coffee Ice-Cream............ 528 Brown-Bread Ice-Cream....... 528 Fancy Ice-Creams and Ices... 529 Neapolitan Ice-Cream........ 529 Pistache Ice-Cream.......... 529 Tutti Frutti................ 529 PAGE Plum-Pudding GlacÉ.......... 529 Fruit Ice-Creams............ 530 Fruit-Ices.................. 530 Water-Ices.................. 531 Roman Punch................. 531 Roman-Punch GlacÉ........... 531 Champagne-Ice............... 531 Freezing-Tub for Small Ices. 532 Canned Fruit................ 532 Preserves and Jellies....... 533 Jelly-Bags. ................. 534 Pineapple Jelly............. 536 Sugared Pineapple........... 536 Pineapple Preserves......... 537 Crab-Apple Jelly............ 537 Crab-Apple Jelly with Lemon. 537 Crab-Apple Preserve......... 538 Apple-Jelly................. 538 Apple-Marmalade............. 538 New-England Apple-Jam....... 539 Plum Marmalade.............. 539 Plum-Jam.................... 540 Plum-Jelly.................. 540 Brandied Green-Gage Plums... 540 Preserved Pears............. 541 Pear Marmalade.............. 541 Pear-Jam.................... 542 Sugared Quinces............. 542 Quinces Preserved Whole..... 543 Quince-Jelly................ 543 Preserved Peaches........... 543 Peach-Jelly................. 544 Jellied Peaches............. 544 Peach Marmalade............. 545 Brandy Peaches.............. 545 Apricot Marmalade........... 546 Apricot Preserves and Jelly. 546 Cherry Preserves............ 546 Cherry Marmalade............ 546 Brandied Cherries........... 547 Raspberry Preserves......... 547 Mrs. Charles Thornton Ad- ams's Raspberry Jam......... 548 Raspberry and Currant Jam... 548 Currant-Jam................. 549 Currant-Jelly............... 549 Blackberry and Apple-Jam.... 549 Barberry-Jam................ 549 Barberry-Jelly.............. 550 Barberry-Jam................ 550 Preserved Mulberries........ 550 Preserved Elderberries...... 551 Elderberry and Grape Jelly.. 551 Preserved Grapes............ 552 Grape Jelly................. 552 Gooseberries Preserved Whole 552 Jellied Gooseberries........ 553 Red-Gooseberry Jam.......... 553 Green-Gooseberry Jam........ 554 Jellied Cranberries......... 554 Rhubarb-Jelly............... 555 Rhubarb-Marmalade........... 555 Rhubarb-Jam................. 555 Strawberry Preserves........ 556 Wiesbaden Preserves......... 557 Strawberry-Jam.............. 557 Florida Orange Marmalade.... 558 Preserved Tomatoes.......... 558 Tomato-Jelly................ 559 Tomato-Jam.................. 559 Tomato-Figs................. 559 Preserved Citron Melon...... 560 Watermelon Preserve......... 560 Preserved Pumpkin........... 560 Preserved Grape-Fruit....... 561 Tutti Frutti Preserve....... 561 Baked Apples................ 562 Stewed Gooseberries......... 562 Fried Bananas............... 563 Fried Peaches............... 563 Peaches Stewed in Wine...... 563 Pineapples.................. 564 Iced Pineapple.............. 565 Bananas and Oranges......... 565 Ambrosia.................... 565 Iced Raspberries for Dessert 566 Iced Strawberries........... 566 Strawberries with Whipped Cream....................... 566 Peaches with Oranges........ 567 Grape-Fruit for Breakfast... 567 CHAPTER XI. BEVERAGES, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE DIET OF INVALIDS AND CHILDREN. PAGE Filtering Water or Sirup.... 570 Coffee...................... 570 French Coffee............... 572 CafÉ Noir................... 572 Gloria...................... 572 Tea......................... 573 Chocolate................... 573 Cocoa....................... 573 Hot Coffee and Soda......... 574 Pineapple Lemonade.......... 574 Currant-Water............... 574 Cherry-Water................ 575 Cherry-Sirup................ 575 Blackberry Sirup............ 575 Florida Orange Wine......... 575 New-England Boiled Cider.... 576 Dixie Pineapple Cider....... 576 West-Indian Pineapple Shrub. 577 Pineapple Rum Shrub......... 577 Currant Shrub............... 577 Pineapple Brandy............ 578 Cherry Brandy............... 578 Raspberry Brandy............ 578 Raspberry Liqueur........... 579 Blackberry Brandy........... 579 Blackberry Cordial.......... 579 Peach Brandy................ 580 Peach and Honey............. 580 Cider-Cup................... 580 Claret-Cup.................. 581 Champagne-Cup............... 581 Roman Punch................. 581 Punch à la Romaine.......... 581 Capillaire for Eau SucrÉ.... 582 Virginia Verder, or Bottled Milk-Punch.................. 582 Milk-Punch.................. 582 White Tiger's Milk.......... 582 Hot Apple-Toddy............. 583 Egg-Nog..................... 583 Egg and Sherry.............. 583 Half-and-Half............... 583 Egg-Flip.................... 584 Porter Sangaree............. 584 Port-Wine Sangaree.......... 584 Mulled Wine................. 584 Mint Julep.................. 584 Sherry Cobbler.............. 585 Whiskey Punch............... 585 Beef-Tea.................... 585 Beef-Juice on Toast......... 585 Clear Clam-Broth............ 586 Steamed Clams............... 586 Dry Toast................... 586 Broiled Oysters............. 586 Broiled Squabs.............. 586 Milk Porridge............... 587 Rice-Gruel.................. 587 Water-Gruel................. 587 Rice and Barley Waters...... 587 Panada...................... 587 Caudle...................... 588 Home-Made Granula........... 588 Rennet Curds................ 588 Rennet Whey................. 588 Bread Jelly................. 589 Cranberry and Sago Jelly.... 589 Dishes for Children......... 589 PRACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY. PART I. CHAPTER I. THE KITCHEN, PANTRY, AND CELLAR. THE KITCHEN. THE fitting-up and care of the kitchen have been so often treated by writers upon domestic matters, that comparatively little space need be given to the subject here; only a few outlines which every housekeeper can fill by the exercise of her own taste and judgment. If possible, have the kitchen upon the level of the ground; or, if it must be in the basement of a house, take care that plenty of light and air reach it. If daylight does not flood every corner of it, supply artificial light, even in the daytime; for no domestic operation requires more light than the treatment of food. Painting the wood-work and floor a light color is of use in this particular. In some of the modern houses where there are elevators, the kitchen and laundry are placed in the top story, greatly to the comfort of all the inmates of the house, who thus escape all odors of cooking and washing. Equally with light is cleanliness important in the kitchen. The cleaning of floors is considered in the chapter on The Dining-room. The walls of a kitchen should be of some hard finish, either panelled wood, tiles, or plastering which can be covered with whitewash or kalsomine coloring. Any lime wash is desirable for the kitchen, because it tends to keep the air pure if frequently applied. The following will be found excellent: Half fill a large pail with quick-lime; pour upon it one gallon of cold water, and stir it until ebullition ceases; then stir in one pint of linseed-oil, and add enough more cold water to make the wash of the consistency of thin paste. Copperas-water used in place of cold water will make the wash disinfectant to a certain degree. The use of skim-milk instead of the first cold water will make a wash which will resist the action of water. Apply the wash with a broad flat brush, moving it up and down the walls with even strokes. The so-called White House wash is made by slacking half a bushel of quicklime with boiling water, keeping it covered until ebullition ceases; meantime a peck of salt is dissolved in warm water, and three pounds of ground rice are made into a thin paste by boiling it with water; a pound of clean glue is dissolved in warm water at the same time, and half a pound of Spanish whiting is powdered; all these ingredients are mixed together, with the addition of enough boiling water to make the mixture properly liquid, and it is then strained, cooled, and allowed to stand three days in a covered vessel. When the wash is required for use, it is heated in a double kettle, and applied hot with a flat brush. This wash resists the action of severe weather, and will serve in place of paint for walls, or wood or stone work. It may be used for the kitchen woodwork if desired. If the kitchen is already painted, and only needs cleaning, use hot water and soap with a flannel rag . The addition of a handful of borax or four tablespoonfuls of liquid ammonia to a gallon of hot water will make a solution which will clean paint and glass quickly and well without soap. Wash oil>-cloths by first rubbing them over with a cloth wet in equal parts of milk and water, and then with another wet in warm water, and finally with a soft dry cloth; wet only a small place at once, and never use a brush if it can be avoided. Keep oilcloths clean ordinarily by wiping them first with a damp cloth and then with a dry one; but do not apply soap, or use a harsh brush or a mop. When the paint has been scrubbed off oilcloths, and their texture is still unbroken, they can be restored by having a coat of good oil paint laid over them about once a year. Some durable bright color is preferable; and the effect can be heightened by having a solid color for the centre, and a contrasting hue for the border. Rubbing with a few drops of ammonia on a damp cloth, and subsequent polishing with dry cloth, will clean windows easily and well. Kitchen-tables should be cleaned every day, with hot water in which either borax or washing-soda is dissolved. The sink should be flushed every day with boiling water, and a handful of washing-soda thrown upon the strainer over the drain-pipe before the greasy water is poured down it after a meal is over. If this point is attended to, and no scraps of refuse or grounds of tea or coffee are allowed to pass into the drain-pipe, housekeepers will escape that troublesome and expensive plumber's job of cutting out the drain-pipe. Every week in winter, and oftener in summer, a cupful of quicklime or of chloride of lime, or a pailful of hot copperas-water, should be thrown upon the drain. Copperas- water is a valuable disinfectant, free from the objectionable odor and physical effect of lime; it is made by placing the copperas in the bottom of a barrel, and covering it with water; enough copperas should be used to be plainly seen always upon the bottom of the barrel. The water, heated and poured in drains, sinks, and water-closets, by the pailful, once or twice a week, will keep them entirely free from dangerous emanations: note this when there is a closet upon the lower floor, or near the kitchen. After every meal the towels and dish-cloths should be washed in hot water with soap and a little borax, and they should then be well rinsed and dried in the sun or air before using them again. Directions are given elsewhere for washing dishes. If kitchen utensils are tarnished and discolored, put them into a large boiler containing hot water and a handful of washing-soda, and let them boil for a few moments; then scour them with any of the good kitchen soaps made of fine white silicious matter. Very fine ashes, sand, or brick-dust sifted, will answer for scouring iron or copper. For tin and japanned or enamelled ware, use powdered whiting, applying it with a wet cloth, and then polishing with a dry one or with chamois. Knives are cleaned with powdered bath-brick. To clean the stove, first wash it with hot water and soda after it is cold, if it is greasy; and then blacken it with any good stove-polish,according to the directions accompanying the polish, and rub the steel fittings of the stove with emery-paper. To build a fire, first let down the grate, and take up the ashes and cinders carefully to avoid raising a dust, sifting the cinders to use in building the fire; brush the soot and dust out of the upper part of the stove, and from the flues which can be reached; be sure that all parts of the ovens and hot-boxes are clean; if there is a waterback attached to the stove, see that it is filled with water; if it is connected with water-pipes, be sure in winter that they are not frozen; brush up the hearth-stone. Lay the fire as follows: Put a few handfuls of dry shavings or paper in the bottom of the grate; upon them, some small sticks of pine wood laid across each other; then a few larger sticks, and some cinders free from ashes; a few small lumps of coke or coal may be mixed with the cinders. Open all the draughts of the stove, close all the covers, and light the fire; when the cinders are lighted, add fresh coke and coal gradually and repeatedly until a clear, bright fire is started; then partly close the draughts. To keep up a fire, add fuel often, a little at once, in order not to check the heat: letting the fire burn low, and then replenishing it abundantly, is a wasteful method, because the stove grows so cold that most of the fresh heat is lost in raising the temperature again to the degree necessary for cooking. Removing the covers of the stove, to place a utensil nearer the fire, lowers the heat of the entire surface, and affects the temperature of the ovens; therefore flat-bottomed cooking-utensils are the best, for they fit close upon the covered top of the stove. Black iron saucepans cook more quickly than bright tin ones; coppers retain the heat, even when brightly polished, longer than any other metal, and are much the most durable. All these points of excellence are treated in detail in the author's "Cooking-school Text-book," to which the reader who desires further information is referred. When the fuel used is wood, the fire should be built and managed much in the same way. Hard wood is preferable to pine for cooking-purposes. Charcoal is a good cooking-fuel, but it is generally expensive. All the kitchen refuse should be burned, first draining it from the slops; and then, when there is no cooking going on, it should be put upon the back of the fire, and all the draughts thrown open so that it can be quickly and entirely consumed. If there is no accumulation of rubbish in the kitchen, there will probably be no more croton-bugs or roaches than can be destroyed by the persistent use of powdered borax and insect-powder. THE PANTRY. Although cleanliness in the kitchen is generally enforced in well-regulated households, the same care is not always extended to those necessary repositories of food, the pantry, the refrigerator, and the cellar. The drains too often contaminate the latter, all kinds of food are gathered indiscriminately in the ice-box, and the pantry has too many dark corners. Then, again, the pantry is too often located so near the kitchen as to receive more or less heat from that room. This access of heat should be guarded against as far as possible, because it so interferes with the preservation of food. When it is impossible to have the pantry or store-room a little removed from the kitchen, the two rooms can be separated by double doors, or at least by a door furnished with a spring which will always close it. The pantry should be so placed as to receive plenty of light and air to keep it free from dampness, but it should not be so exposed to the sun as to make it hot enough at any season to affect its contents. If there is not a storeroom proper,a large light closet should be devoted to its uses. Shelves should be arranged around the walls, those upon two sides at least permitting barrels to be placed under them; hooks should be placed upon the edges of some of the upper shelves, within easy reach, for the hanging of bunches of herbs and small bags, or nets containing fruit. A cool, dark section should be set apart for preserves and jellies; and, if they are put up in stone jars or buckets, they should be labelled, so that the contents can be known without opening them. The arrangement of shelves, boxes, jars, and barrels will suggest itself to any tidy person, as it affords the easiest access to their contents. As far as possible, solid cases should be used for stores of all kinds, because paper used for wrapping them is so readily torn, and is no protection against mice or insects. The ordinary contents of the storeroom include dry groceries, preserves, pickles, bread, and cake; the latter should be kept in close boxes of wood or tin, which should be frequently cleaned. Hot food should never be put into the storeroom, because it gives out steam, and thus favors dampness, and also because it slightly heats the atmosphere. THE REFRIGERATOR. In most towns, ice-boxes or refrigerators are obtainable already made, but there is some discretion to be used in their selection. In choosing one, care should be taken that the frame is of hard wood, susceptible of a smooth finish, because a soft rough surface attracts and retains moisture and injurious odors from the water used in cleansing it, and from the ice, as well as from the food itself. If possible, the entire lining and shelves should be metallic; but, if they are of wood, they should be hard, and a double set should be employed so that some can be drying while the others are in use. Marbleized iron or zinc makes the best metal shelves. No water or sewer pipes should be connected with the ice-box, because poisonous gases readily pass through water. In so-called model apartment-houses, the refrigerator is sometimes connected direct with the drain by a small pipe, to permit the escape of the water caused by the melting of the ice: there could be no surer way devised to imperil the health of the inmates of the apartments. Ice-boxes and refrigerators, large and small, should be cleaned and aired often enough to keep them perfectly free from any odor. Meat, fish, poultry, or game should never be laid upon shelves, but rather hung by hooks or laid upon racks: if the box is too small to permit this, they should be placed upon earthen dishes large enough to prevent contact with the box or shelves. Milk should always be kept in closed jars, even when in the ice-box, for no other substance is so quickly affected by air and surroundings; it absorbs every odor and gas to which it is exposed, and takes on every taint in the atmosphere: therefore, as soon as its first natural heat has passed away, it should be strained, and kept in covered vessels, unless it is put into a perfectly clean milk -room sheltered from air and dust. Butter, like milk, readily takes on odors and taint: it should always be kept in covered tubs or jars, with brine or a wet cloth covered with salt over it. It should never be put near fish, meat, or vegetables which can impart any odor to it. The ice-box should not be kept in a damp place, because dampness will cause the ice to melt, and predispose food to ferment and mould. No steam or furnace pipes or chimney-flues should be near enough to vary its temperature in the least degree, for this in itself is a frequent cause of injury to food. When the weather is variable,it is necessary to closely watch food which is not refrigerated. In the winter, there is less danger to food from decomposition than in summer; but some kinds are impaired by freezing. And then, too, there is always more or less danger of decomposition attending the thawing of frozen meats : they should be thawed at a dry temperature, only a little above the freezing-point, in a well-ventilated room, or in very cold water, --never near the fire, or in a warm kitchen. When meat has once been frozen, it should be kept at that temperature until it is thawed for cooking; for, when once thawed, it is likely to spoil quickly, especially in close, damp weather. A word in regard to frozen vegetables: they should be placed in cold water to thaw, not exposed to the action of heat; but as freezing effects a chemical change in the substance and composition of vegetables,--as, for instance, when it partly changes the starch in potatoes into glucose,--they should generally be protected from frost. Vegetables will be referred to again in treating of the cellar. As dampness favors decomposition, even at a low temperature, the ice-compartment in refrigerators should be separated from the food-closet by permanent walls, so that moisture cannot be directly communicated from ice to food. The only efficient refrigerator is one that thus separates the ice from the food, and has an outlet for the water caused by the melting of the ice. It is a mistake to use this water for drinking or cooking purposes, for it generally contains impurities from the ice. A glass- or porcelain-lined receptacle placed next to the ice-compartment, and filled with water, will cool pleasantly. The vessel should be washed out and filled with fresh water every day, and should be entirely closed from the air; for water impregnated with odors or vapors from food, or with those which pervade living-rooms, is unfit to drink. As water standing in open pitchers for any length of time loses all its natural gases, and absorbs the deleterious properties in the atmosphere, so, equally, that which is exposed to the odors of food in the refrigerator becomes injurious. In cool weather, meat, fish, game, and poultry may be kept in a wire safe for a reasonable length of time. The same general care should be given to the safe which the refrigerator requires. Its frame should be of hard wood; the racks or shelves, of metal, marbleized or galvanized iron; and the wire-cloth painted as often as it shows any trace of rust, because a rough, rusted metallic surface will attract and retain deleterious odors, and particles of decomposed food. THE CELLAR. In cities, cellars are generally quite underground, and too often contaminated by sewer- and drain-pipes. It is impossible to take too much care to guard against this danger. To a great ,extent, dampness can be obviated in cellars, by flooring them with concrete, and ventilating them thoroughly: for this purpose there should be movable windows, in good working-order, with direct communication with the outer air. Cellars cannot always be lighted without artificial means, but they can be kept clean and dry. A little copperas dissolved in the water used for making lime -wash, or some good disinfectant, can always be used to purify the air; and care can be taken that no dirt of any kind accumulates. As this subject is treated exhaustively in the author's work on "Diet for Invalids," no more need be said here. If fruit or vegetables are kept in cellars, they should be examined frequently, and all spoiled portions removed. The darkness necessary to the preservation of some vegetables can be secured by covering them with old clean blankets or carpet, or, better still, with several thicknesses of newspaper, which can be thrown away when they bear any trace of mildew: the blanket or carpet should be dried frequently, and washed when it becomes at all mildewed. The temperature of cellars where vegetables are kept should be regulated so that they can neither freeze, nor spoil from excessive heat: a safe temperature is about 50° Fah. When vegetables are kept in bins, they should be made of hard smooth wood with covers; otherwise, barrels and boxes with covers should be used. If those roots and tubers which are to be kept until late in the winter are packed in layers, in sand or clean moss or excelsior-shavings, they will keep fresh and good in a dry, cool cellar. Apples may be packed in this way, or in dry sawdust, or wrapped in soft paper, and stored in barrels or boxes. Winter pears may be laid between the folds of an old clean blanket, on a shelf, in a dry cellar. Cranberries are best preserved by keeping them covered with water, and lemons do well in the same way; care should be taken that the water does not freeze, and it should be changed often enough to maintain its freshness. Parsnips are generally left in the ground during the winter, but they may be kept in sand in the cellar. If turnips are kept in sand, they are less apt to become corky than when exposed to the air. Celery keeps well, quite buried in the sand. Squashes and pumpkins require a cool, dry place. Cabbages may be laid in heaps, or packed in barrels, with the root up, and a thick covering of their own outer leaves upon the top, under the cover of the barrel or bin. Onions should be spread upon shelves, or kept in well-aired baskets. Beets should be buried in sand, as also carrots. Potatoes keep well in barrels in a cool, dark part of the cellar. As the spring approaches, or if they begin to show signs of germination at any season, they may be put into baskets with handles, and placed in boiling water for three minutes; after that they are to be thoroughly drained, and then returned to the cellar: the heat of the water destroys the young sprouts, without injuring the rest of the potato for subsequent cooking. Sweet potatoes require a very dry place, but do not keep any length of time; so that, unless the family is large, they should be bought only in small quantities. All the vegetables which are used green, or in an immature condition, should be dried, canned, or preserved in their season. Radishes and mushrooms may be raised during the winter, in warm cellars; and parsley and lettuce, in window-boxes, at any temperature suitable for house-plants; mustard and cress will grow from seed within a few days in window-boxes. THE CARE OF MILK AND BUTTER. Reference has already been made to the importance of taking special care of the milk and butter intended for daily consumption in the household; but where one or two cows are kept, and a little butter is made, a few more directions may be useful. It is as important that the cows and their shed should be kept perfectly clean, and that they are properly fed, as that their milk should receive attention; and the housekeeper should see to this, although such details belong properly to those having care of the cows. When cows have been fed upon cabbage or turnips, or have eaten onions in the fields, in such a way that the taste is perceptible in the milk, add to it, as soon as it is drawn from the cows and strained, one quart of boiling water to each two gallons of milk, or have a piece of saltpetre the size of a pea powdered and put into each pail before milking the cows. Either of these methods will generally destroy the foreign flavor, without injuring the milk; but if the cows are shut up so that they have no access to such food for six or eight hours, the milk will be sweet. The cows should be milked kindly and gently, and not immediately after any violent exercise; and, when possible, always by one person who understands their idiosyncrasies, and can get all the milk : if a cow is not milked thoroughly, the quantity will gradually decrease and become poor until the supply ceases altogether. When a cow is unquiet during milking, a piece of rock- salt put into a trough for her to lick will generally keep her quiet; but if she is vicious, her legs must be strapped. Tin pails, scrupulously clean, are best for milking: if wooden ones are used, they must be of hard, smooth wood, scalded and then rinsed with cold water before being used. The milk should be strained directly it is drawn, and set in a temperature of about 60° Fah. to become cool: milk should always be cooled before it is covered in any way. Deep tin pails, with a handle for lifting, are better for setting milk for cream than the old-fashioned shallow pans: they should always be kept scrupulously clean, being scalded, aired, and sunned after each time of use. Cream should be skimmed according to the season, in twelve, twenty-four, or thirty-six hours. If the milk sours under the cream, no harm is done; but it should not be allowed to stand before skimming, until the curd and whey separate. When enough cream is ready from one skimming to make butter, it need only be set away without disturbance until it becomes slightly sour,--from twenty-four to forty-eight hours: but when it has to be accumulated, an ounce of pulverized salt may be put into the bottom of a two- or three-gallon jar; and, every time cream is put in, it should be thoroughly stirred with that already in the jar. Any drops upon the inside of the jar should be wiped off, and it should be kept covered with a piece of gauze. A shallow ladle is best for skimming, and it need not be perforated. No wind should be permitted to blow over the surface of cream while it is rising, and it should be protected from dust. The most cream seems to rise upon milk cooled by ice. Although cream needs to be a little sour before churning, it must not be allowed to become at all bitter: the churning may be done two or three times a week. Before using the churn, it should be scalded for one minute with boiling water, then emptied, and partly filled with very cold water for five minutes: after that, the water may be poured out, and the cream put into the churn. Very thick cream should be thinned with milk before churning. When the cream froths much in the churn, the butter should be used soon after it is made, because there is some condition of the milk or cream which will prevent the keeping of the butter. Churn with a series of steady, even strokes, about sixty to the minute, and stop when the butter comes in small, firm masses. At some seasons it is necessary to put some very cold milk, or a piece of ice, into the churn before the butter will come; this may be done if it does not begin to appear in about half an hour: butter comes in about half an hour when the cream is at a temperature of about 65° Fah. When the butter comes, if it is very soft, put ice or very cold water into the churn so that it will harden enough to be taken up. Remove the butter from the churn, to a clean table or butter-tray, with a wooden paddle, first wetting both in very cold water. Never use the hands in working butter. With the ladle, cut down through the butter, and press it firmly, to work out the buttermilk; but do not smooth it, because that breaks the grain of the butter. If the weather is warm enough to make the butter soft, put a piece of ice upon it, and trust to the second working to extract the water. When the buttermilk is worked out, spread the butter out on the tray or table, sprinkle over it the finest dairy- salt, --about an ounce of salt to a pound of butter, --and then, using the same cutting motion, thoroughly work the salt into the butter. Some butter -makers add about a quarter of an ounce of fine white sugar to each pound of butter at the first or second working: the sugar is a good corrective to any trace of bitterness in the butter, and helps preserve it. After the salt has been worked into the butter, put it away to harden again. When the butter is hard, repeat the working with the ladle, to work out all the water, and use a cloth repeatedly wrung out of ice- water to pat the butter while working it; do not work long enough to soften the butter, but extract all the moisture, so that a clean surface is presented when cut, with only a slight dew upon it. Then either make it up in pats or rolls, wrap each one in a wet cloth, and sink them in brine, or pack the butter in firkins as directed below. The butter should be of a rich yellow color, sweet and nutty in flavor, and showing a fine close grain when broken, or an even surface slightly bedewed with colorless moisture when cut. Freezing does not impair the taste or keeping-quality of butter : but if it is long exposed to the air, it is apt to become rancid upon the surface; and this rancidity gradually penetrates the entire mass, and develops an acid which is poisonous when brought into contact with any copper surface. All packed butter should be put into firkins or tubs made of hard wood,-- oak or hemlock,--which have been soaked in brine for twenty-four hours, and then wiped, and sprinkled with fine salt. Pack the butter down tight and close, and cover the top layer with a cloth wet in brine and sprinkled thickly with fine salt. If the tub is not filled at the first packing, when more butter is ready to put in, remove the cloth, rinse it in cold water, wipe or wash off with cold water any salt which may have fallen upon the butter, pack in what is ready, and again cover it as before with the wet cloth and salt. A good brine for butter can be made as follows: Dissolve in a gallon of cold water as much fine salt as it will receive,--that is, until salt can be seen upon the bottom of the vessel containing the brine; then put it over the fire, with an ounce of sugar and a level teaspoonful of powdered saltpetre, and let it boil up; after that, cool it, strain it, and use it. CHAPTER II. MARKETING. AS the excellence of a dinner depends as much upon the quality of its materials as upon the skill of the cook, it is incumbent on the good housekeeper to have some knowledge of marketing. If a good cook can do better with poor materials than a poor cook with the best supplies, how great will be the satisfaction in a repast which supplements judicious selection with perfect cookery! The skilled marketer must have experience, but even the youngest beginner can gain some advantage from such clear and explicit description as is presented in this chapter. The complaint is often made, that the pictures of meat given in cookery-books do not resemble the meat as it appears in market. The pictures given in this work have been carefully engraved from photographs taken from sides of meat ready to be exposed for sale. The lines which indicate the different joints represent the average lines employed in cutting meat by butchers in various parts of the country: relatively the difference is so slight, that in giving lessons in the cutting of meats, in many places, only unimportant variations have been observed, and even these concerned the names rather than the actual forms of the cuts. Individual butchers may vary their cutting-lines a few inches, but the main ones given in the several engravings are accurate enough to serve as a general guide to marketers. Before entering upon the detail of meat marketing, a few words may be well said upon the importance of freshness in food of all kinds, and especially when several kinds are used for making one dish, such as a soup or a stew. The least taint in any ingredient will impair the flavor of the dish, and often produce temporary discomfort or positive illness; therefore the marketer should not be tempted to purchase wilted vegetables, or meat upon the verge of spoiling, because the price may be low. In fact, the rule may be accepted, that fair goods command a fair price; the only notable exception being when marketing-days occur only two or three times a week, or at the end of the week, when the food is sold at a reduction towards the close of the day, by dealers who do not wish to take the risk of keeping it. Street-peddlers seldom have fresh wares, even if they give good measure; because they generally buy at a low rate, from dealers whose supplies are upon the verge of spoiling. This is especially the case with fruit: the street-peddlers are most active when the market is glutted with green or over-ripe fruit for which there is no legitimate demand. In some localities, however,--notably in country-places,-- honest small dealers supply their scattered customers by wagon-route, greatly to the housekeepers' convenience: of course the foregoing remarks do not apply to them. THE PREPARATION OF MEAT FOR MARKET. This is a matter requiring close care and nice calculation; and, under the manipulation of skilled slaughterers, all parts of the creature have an actual market value. The finest hair of beef, after thorough cleansing, is used in the manufacture of coarse blankets; the long tuft on the end of the tail is employed in upholstery; the coarse hair is made into mortar; the skin is tanned for leather; the horns are used for combs, knife and umbrella handles, buttons, and various other articles of use and fancy; the bones and refuse of the horns and hoofs become fertilizers, or are made into glue; the feet yield neat's-foot oil; the blood and offal are made into fertilizers; all superfluous fat is made into either oleomargarine or oil. In New York and some other large cities, the butchers employ the Jewish method of slaughtering, which consists of draining the carcass of all the blood. After the animal is killed, the interior is examined to make sure that the meat is in a perfectly healthy condition; and it is then cut up for sale. The intestines and their surrounding fat are removed; the heart, liver, and kidneys being prepared for the retail trade. The layer of fat which surrounds the intestines is stretched over the inner surface of the body, and held in place by wooden skewers, so that it may not contract in cooling: it is this fat which is so excellent in spring lamb. The outer coating of fat, mingled with a thin layer of flesh, is often cut so that in cooling it contracts, and forms fanciful figures on the surface of the meat. The thickness of this outer layer of fat is a safe indication of the condition of the carcass: well-fed animals show thick back-fat, and the kidney-fat or suet is very abundant, while the entire flesh is marbled with small lines of fat. The last joints of the legs are carefully cleaned, and the head is freed from hair and horns. The entire flesh of the head of beef in this country is generally made into sausage-meat; but in Europe it is sold, either fresh or cured, under the name of ox-cheek: the palate is a special delicacy there, and many dishes are made of the brains. In this country the tongue is generally the most important part of the head, being used fresh, or corned with salt, or pickled and smoked. As a matter of fact, most of the edible viscera can be made into palatable and nutritious dishes; and some of the so-called cheap cuts of meat are preferable, on the score of flavor and strength-giving properties, to the most expensive. For instance, the shoulder of mutton is much more delicate than the leg. And the filet or tenderloin of beef, generally the most expensive cut, has less taste and nutriment than any other part of the flesh of the animal: it is simply tender; and that is because it is composed of muscular fibre which is worked but little, and consequently is not as well nourished as those parts that are so exercised as to make their circulation rapid and ample. When we offer the tenderloin of beef to a guest or an invalid, we only give them the most expensive meat, not the best. And so it frequently is with mutton: contrary to the general impression prevailing in this country, the shoulder is the choice portion; in England, where the best mutton in the world is raised, it is that which is set before the guest, while the leg is relegated to the family table as being the more economical and less delicate. It is a favorite maxim among good old-fashioned housekeepers, that only prime cuts of meat are available and of good value. But this is the case only when the family taste insists always upon a roast or a steak: when any variety of fare is acceptable, many of the cheap cuts can be made into delicious dishes; and, when there is a general demand for them, butchers will willingly keep them to meet it, and thus in a measure equalize the price of more expensive cuts. It is not always that the average late marketer has the opportunity of buying the best meats. In cities, the buyers for large hotels, restaurants, and clubs market very early, or have the choice parts reserved for them. Then, too, every dealer will have his special customers whose wants he endeavors to supply: if he is honest, he will of course give all his customers as good as he has on hand, and they may rely upon his opinion; but there are occasions when the buyer may safely depend upon individual judgment. GOOD POINTS IN MEATS. A few clearly defined points will enable any ordinarily careful and intelligent person to select a good quality of flesh from what is offered. The best meats are from well-fed, mature animals, which have not been overworked, and the meat of which has been carefully transported from the slaughter-house to the market. A loose texture of flesh in full-grown meats indicates an excess of water, which will cause the meat to shrink in cooking or preserving it in any way. The flesh of grass-fed meat is of this character; while that of "stall-fed" or "corn-fed" animals has a firm, dense fibre, admirably calculated to retain its substance, either under the action of heat in cooking or of salt in curing it. Of the three best-known mature meats, beef has the largest and firmest fibres, and pork has the densest, closest texture; and therefore both are well suited for curing. About one-fifth of the weight of flesh is composed of the solid substances of fibrine, albumen, and gelatine; the residue being the juice of the flesh, which consists of water and some soluble salts that are essential to the preservation of health. It is this juice, of which salted meats are largely deprived, which is too often lost by improper methods of cooking; as in the pounding of beefsteaks, under the erroneous impression that they are thus made tender, when really the labor of mastication saved by the breaking of the fibres is more than handicapped by the loss of the juice entailed by the pounding operation. When the fibre of meat is over-tough, it can be softened by using vinegar during cooking, according to the directions given elsewhere. The fact is not always known to city marketers, although it is generally well understood by people in the country who kill their own meat, that the flesh of animals and birds is always most tender if cooked while it is yet warm with vitality. Every sportsman who has cooked game in the field or camp directly it was killed, has demonstrated this fact. A familiar domestic instance of it is the practice of the famous negro cooks of the South, of cooking chickens before their flesh grows cold after they are killed. If a bird is killed, picked, and cooked at once, it will always be tenderer than if it is allowed to grow cold and stiff. Beef, or any meat which has been killed long enough for the warmth of life to leave it, will be dense and hard of fibre until the stiffness of the muscles consequent upon the loss of vital heat, that causes toughness, has been overcome by that relaxation of the tissues which precedes the beginning of actual decomposition of the flesh. No matter how prime the animal is before killing, after the flesh is once cold it will be hard and tough until this muscular change takes place. As considerable loss in weight is consequent upon the long keeping of meat, butchers are sometimes unwilling to assume it; but they will generally hang meat long enough for it to become tender, if their customers will take it at its first weight. The flesh of young animals seems tender, because of its softness and looseness of fibre. Its texture is naturally less firm than that of mature creatures, but it is correspondingly less nutritous; and, while it appears to be easily masticated, it is really only less entirely reduced to the condition of pulp which permits the beginning of digestion, because its soft, semi-gelatinous fibres elude the teeth, while the comparatively short time it remains in the mouth does not favor that complete admixture with the saliva which is necessary to the first stage of digestion. This is the reason why such young meats as veal and sucking-pig are not desirable foods for persons whose digestion is impaired. While the flesh of young meats seems thus relatively tender, it is not so acceptable to the palate as that of mature animals in good condition. A glance will show an experienced marketer the difference between good and poor meat. The first has a fresh, bright color, with plenty of back- and kidney-fat, and fine thread-like particles of fat running through the flesh: the odor is sweet, and the general appearance clean. On the other hand, meat in bad condition is dark and dull in color, without the tracery of white fat throughout the flesh and its abundance on the back and about the kidneys; even if the fat is abundant, its color will be yellowish and its consistency soft; the odor will be more or less unpleasant. No amount of washing will restore the excellence of stale or tainted meat, or counteract its poisonous effect upon the system. The fact should be remembered in this connection, that meats which have been kept on the ice, and are then exposed to the action of a warm atmosphere, taint much more quickly than those that have never been iced. BEEF. Good beef is of a clear, bright-red color, veined or marbled with whitish fat, with abundant kidney-fat or suet, and thick back- fat : the fat of a prime creature is of a clear, whitish-yellow color, rather hard and brittle, as contrasted with the dull yellow fat of inferior beef, which is also soft and greasy. The second grade of beef is of a dusky-red color, with scant fat interspersed among the muscular fibre and very little upon the back and kidneys; the odor of the meat is good; and, if it is hung long enough, the flesh will be comparatively tender. Poor beef has little or no back- fat, very scant yellowish kidney-fat, and dark-red, hard flesh; in cooking it, the aid of vinegar will soften the fibres to some extent, but it can never be made entirely good; if the odor is rank and strong, it will always be noticeable. The carcass of beef as marketed is cut into sides, and these again into fore- and hind-quarters. The engraving show a side of beef with the cutting-lines placed where Side of Beef. Illustration of a large side of beer hanging on a wooden door. most butchers locate them: in different parts of the country, they vary slightly; but, as has already been said, the difference is more in name than in appearance. The choicest parts of the carcass are along the line of the backbone. One rather unusual cut, the baron of beef, is not shown: it consists of the double loin or sirloin, and is too large for ordinary purposes, the average weight being about one hundred pounds. The following figures indicate the position, in the picture, of the different cuts of beef :-- 1. Shin, or leg; used for soups and plain stews. 2. Round; used for steaks, pot-roasts, and beef à la mode. 3. Rump; used for steaks, stews, and corned beef. 4. Butt or flank steak; used for steak, pressed beef, and corned beef. 5. Large sirloin steaks; large, juicy steaks, used for broiling and frying. 6. Sirloinroast or porterhouse steaks; used for the choice roast or beefsteaks. 7. Flank; used for corned beef or stews. 8. Navel; used for corned beef. 9. Plate; used for corned beef. 10. Ribs; used for roasting. 11. Chuck ribs; used for roasting and steaks. 12. Shoulder-piece; used for soups, stews, mince, and pot-roasts. 13. Shank, or shin; used chiefly for soups. 14. Neck; used for soups, stews, and hash or mince. 15. Brisket; used for corned beef, spiced beef, and stews. There is choice to be exercised in regard to steaks and roasts. The hip- or thick-end of the sirloin or porterhouse cut makes the finest beefsteaks, the two hip-bone or tenderloin steaks being the best large beefsteaks in the entire carcass. The middle porterhouse steaks are smaller, and have a good proportion of tenderloin or filet; the thin end of the sirloin gives small porterhouse steaks of excellent flavor. Beyond the hip-bone sirloin steak, come the flat- and round-bone sirloin steaks, which are large, juicy, and well-flavored; then the ordinary large sirloin steaks reach to the rump-piece. The tenderloin or filet of beef runs under the sirloin, beginning at the round-bone sirloin steak, and running up to about the third small porterhouse.-- from fifteen to twenty inches,--and weighing five pounds or more. Rump and round steaks cut from fine beef are composed of firm, juicy, well-flavored flesh, and in point of nutriment compare favorably with any portion. The roasting-ribs are cut from the fore-quarter; they number in all thirteen, and are usually cut in twos or threes, according to the size or weight required. The first two or three are called the first-cut ribs; then come the second- or middle-cut, reaching as far as the fifth or sixth rib; the third-cut ribs reach up to the chuck- or shoulder-ribs, which begin at the ninth rib: all these cuts are juicy, tender, and highly flavored. The four chuck-ribs proper run up to the neck. The piece of shoulder-blade running through the chuck-ribs can be cut out by the butcher, and replaced with a piece of fat. The chuck-ribs are divided according to the requirements of the purchaser: their flavor is sweet; and, as they are marbled with fat in good beef, they rank next the sirloin, either as roasts or steaks. The chuck nearest the neck is inferior in quality to the other end near the ribs proper. VEAL. The best veal is from a milk fed calf about six weeks old. Veal less than a month old is watery, soft, and insipid. Good veal shows a fine-grained, juicy flesh, of a delicate pinkish color, with firm white fat. When the food of calves is changed to grass, hay, or meal, the character of the flesh changes: it is harder, less juicy, and darker in color, and the fat grows yellowish. When the flesh of veal is very white, it may have been blanched for the purpose of changing the appearance of poor veal to that of good quality. The flesh of the second quality of veal is red, contrasted with the pinkish-white prime flesh, and the fat is coarser-grained and less abundant. The poorest kind of veal has decidedly red flesh, and very little kidney-fat. When the kidney-fat of any quality of veal begins to grow soft and clammy, the meat is on the verge of spoiling. Bob-veal is the flesh of calves killed when they are less than three weeks old: the flesh is soft, semi-gelatinous, and sticky, and the fat is scant and flabby. It is utterly unfit for food: being the first flesh of the young creature, unchanged by the healthful action of sun and air, it is devoid of those elements which make good flesh a wholesome food. The influence of sun and air upon the blood of animals is well understood by stock-raisers, who have demonstrated that far better meat is produced by animals fattened in the open air than by those that are housed for any considerable length of time. The annexed cut represents a carcass of veal prepared for market, the lines being those generally followed in cutting it up. I. Leg, including part of the flank; used for cutlets and roasts. 2. Loin; used for roasts and chops. 3. Flank: this part is often nearly all cut with the leg, but if separated it makes a good roll for baking or stewing. 4. The ribs lying under the shoulder; used for roasts, chops, and stews. 5. Breast; used for stews, pot-pie, and baking. 6. Shoulder; used for roasts and baked dishes. 7. Neck; used for broth and stews. 8. Feet; used for jelly. The hind-quarter of veal is generally considered the finest, but the rib-chops are exceedingly good. In a small carcass Side of Veal. Illustration of a large side of veal hanging over a chopping block with a large butcher knife next to it. of veal, the hind-quarter would be divided simply into loin and leg, and the fore-quarter into shoulder, breast, and neck. LAMB. Spring lamb is divided simply into fore- and hind-quarters by a middle cut, which leaves several of the ribs attached to the hind-quarter. The latter commands the highest price, because it presents the greatest available quantity of meat; but its flavor is not superior to that of the shoulder. If a lamb is very large, the neck may be separated from the fore-quarter to use for stews. Very delicate dishes are made from lamb's feet. Spring lamb proper is from six weeks to three months old. House-lamb is lamb fed under cover during the winter months. Lamb is sold from spring until late winter, not being called mutton until after it is a year old. The weight of small spring lamb is from twenty to twenty-five pounds; and, as the season progresses, the size increases to about a hundred pounds. As the lamb grows larger, chops are cut from both fore- and hind-quarters; the former being called rib-chops, and the latter loin-chops or cutlets, as they are taken from the loin or leg. Sometimes small sheep are dressed like lamb; but the difference is shown by the darker red of the flesh, the comparitive scantiness of the fat, and the white color of the bones as opposed to the reddish bones of lamb. The back- and kidney-fat of lamb is hard, white, and abundant; and the flesh has a delicate rosy tint. The flesh of the second quality is darker and less firm than that of prime lamb; the grain is coarser, and the fat less white and abundant. Poor lamb has scant yellowish fat, and lean flabby meat without any interspersed lines of fat; and the flesh is soft andwatery. When the kidney-fat of lamb begins to grow soft and sticky, the meatis on the point of spoiling; a bad odor indicates that it is already Side of Lamb. An illustration of a large side of lamb hanging on a hook over a chopping block. tainted, and is unfit for use. It is not ever a safe experiment to roast or bake meat upon the verge of spoiling, because the gradual heating of the interior will generally complete its decomposition. MUTTON. Mutton is prime from creatures about three years old, fed out of doors, and especially upon hillsides. The fat of prime mutton is abundant, white, and hard; the flesh is firm and juicy, and of a clear-red color; and the bones are white. The flesh of second quality is darker and closer-grained, the fat is scanty and yellowish, and the flavor is rank. Poor mutton has pale, flabby flesh, scant thin fat laid close against the flesh but not interlined with it, and the flesh parts easily from the bones. Diseased mutton has decidedly yellowish fat, and soft, flabby flesh. Small mutton is cut like large lamb; large mutton is cut by the lines indicated in the annexed cut. I. Leg; used for roasts: in large mutton, part of the leg is cut with the saddle. 2. Loin; used for roasts and chops: the dotted line at 2 shows the cut for a saddle of mutton. 3. Flank; cut separate in very large mutton, but in medium-sized carcasses included in the loin cut or chops. 4. Rack, or rib-chops; used for rib- or French-chops. 5. Breast; used for roasts, stews, and baked dishes. 6. Shoulder; used for roasts and baked dishes. 7. Neck; used for cutlets and stews. The saddle of mutton is the double loin, cut without splitting it down the back: a detail of illustration is given elsewhere. French chops are rib-chops with the end of the bone trimmed off, and the flesh and fat cut away from the bone at the thin or flank end, leaving the round piece of flesh near the back-bone attached to the rib. Side of Mutton. An Illustration of a large side of mutton hanging over a wooden door. PORK. The best pork for general table-use is from carcasses weighing from fifty to about a hundred and twenty-five pounds. The color of the flesh is a fresh pink; and the fat is hard and white, not less than an inch thick upon the back, and very abundant about the intestines. The skin of young pork is whitish and semi-transparent. The second quality of pork has rather hard red flesh and yellowish fat; the poor sort has dark, coarse-grained flesh, soft fat, and a generally inferior appearance. Measly pork, which is unfit for use, has little kernels in the fat; the kernels or yellowish lumps sometimes show in the lean, and the entire flesh has a dull look. The tenderloins of pork correspond with those of beef in place: they are of sweet and tender flesh, and during the winter season can generally be bought. When the back-fat of pork is very thick, some of it is removed from the parts which are to be used for roasts and chops; when the skin is dressed on roasts, it is scored in lines about half an inch apart. The accompanying cut shows a carcass of pork as divided for general cooking-purposes. When the entire creature is designed for salting, the cuts differ a little, but not materially. I. Leg; used for roasts, ham, and corned pork. 2. Flank; used for pickling or salting. 3. Loin; used for roasts, chops, and baked dishes. 4. Brisket; used for pickling and salting, and bacon. 5. Ribs; used for roasts, chops, and baked dishes. 6. Shoulder; used for roasts, ham, and corned pork. 7. Neck; used for roasts and neck cutlets. 8. Top of head; used for pickling and salting. 9. Cheek; used for pickling and salting. 10. Hock; used for pickling and salting. 11. Feet; used for souse and >jelly. 12. Tail-piece; used fresh as a choice roast. number 12. origionally appeared on page 34. Side of Pork. An illustration of a side of pork hanging over a wooden door. That part of a carcass of pork used for bacon is the flank and brisket, including the belly and the thin part of the ribs: it is first thoroughly salted, and then dried or smoked. The flitch of bacon is the entire side between the shoulder and the leg. Brawn is the entire length of a side, pickled, after it has been boned and rolled, and then boiled. POULTRY. There is no season when it is impossible to obtain good poultry of some kind; but in warm, damp weather it is advisable to select that which has not been long killed, or preserved on ice, as both are likely to spoil quickly. In selecting fowls, see that the skin is clean, soft, and not badly torn, that the flesh looks plump and light-colored or whitish under the skin, and that some fat is apparent. Young fowls or chickens have large feet and long necks in proportion to their size, and the lower end of the breast-bone is so soft as to bend easily in response to slight side pressure: the cartilage does not harden into bone while the chicken is young enough to be absolutely tender. Of course there are tender large fowls and capons, bred especially for the table, which are well grown, and abound in delicious flesh. If the head and feet are upon dressed poultry, they will generally indicate its condition. The eyes will be full and bright, and the feet soft and pliable, when the poultry is in good condition: if it is poor and stale, the feet will be dry and stiff, the eyes sunken and dull, and the flesh dark-colored and changing to a greenish hue about the back and vent, as the poultry nears the point of spoiling. There are so many devices for restoring stale poultry which has not actually reached the stage of putrefaction, that the only absolute safety lies in buying from honest dealers. The head of a capon, which is always left on the bird, is smaller in proportion to the body than that of ordinary poultry; the comb is more withered and pale; the neck-feathers are longer; and the body is shorter, fatter, and more plump. The flesh of capons is very tender and juicy: the weight is usually from eight to twelve pounds. Capon turkeys are unusual but delicious. The best spring chickens are those which have a full breast and are plump and short: those which have long legs and large bones are less satisfactory. Bantam fowls, which are sometimes marketed, are short and plump, about the size of a partridge; and their flesh is excellent when they are young and fat. Turkeys are in fine condition when the flesh looks white and plump, and they have full breasts and smooth legs: old turkeys have rather thick skins covered with long hairs, and the flesh is purplish under the skin. Hen turkeys are smaller and plumper than male birds, and of less intense flavor: turkey poults, or young turkeys, are very tender and delicate, but not full-flavored. The finest turkeys that are marketed are the mutton-fed birds: they are fat, juicy, and well-flavored. Young ducks, or ducklings, and goslings are among the most delicious poultry: they are very fat, and the flesh is highly flavored. Good ducks and geese are plump, with abundance of semi-transparent, soft fat: they have a pliable breast-bone, flesh-colored and brittle beaks, and windpipes that break when pressed between the thumb and finger. As the birds grow old, the color of the feet and beaks changes from yellow to red. Goslings are sometimes called green geese. Pigeons and squabs, either domestic or wild, are generally in market. Pigeons are good when the breasts are large and plump in proportion to the size of the bird. The flesh of old birds is very dark-colored, that of good ones is dark red, and of squabs so light as to be almost pink. The squabs, also, are very short and fat, and have full round bodies and soft legs and feet. GAME-BIRDS. Game-birds are abundant in all parts of America, in their season, and can usually be bought in good condition from reliable dealers. The breasts should always be full and tender, and the skin upon the rump and about the vent clear and freshly colored: if there is any appearance of discoloration, the birds are stale. A few feathers plucked from these parts will disclose the color of the skin, and a touch will indicate the condition of the breast. Despite the fact that epicures like game hung until it is upon the verge of putrefaction, it is neither safe nor wholesome food in that condition: when it is reasonably fresh, it cannot be excelled. Among the larger game-birds, the canvas-back duck is the best. It is as abundant in the great North-western lakes as upon the Eastern seaboard, and the canvas-backs of the Pacific Coast are delicious. This duck may be distinguished from other species by the appearance of the feathers on the back of the male bird, which resemble a piece of rough canvas. The bills of canvas-backs run nearly on a line with the top of the head, and are about three inches long: they are black, as contrasted with the bills of other wild duck, which generally show some trace of color. When the bills of other ducks are black, they are usually of a different shape to those of canvas-backs. GAME. Large game is abundant and varied, and is good until it begins to taint. Prime game is clean and fat, and free from any unpleasant or musty odor. The most abundant is venison; but buffalo, bear, elk, antelope, wild sheep and goat, and rabbits, hares, squirrels, raccoons, otters, beavers, badgers, and musquash or muskrat, are frequently marketed,- the latter especially in Southern cities, where the old colored cooks convert them into excellent dishes. With all game, the judgment of a reliable dealer is the best guide for the buyer; but a few hints may be given as to the possibility of keeping game in order to make the flesh tender. All wild meat will keep good longer than domestic meat, because of its firm texture. In average temperate weather, clear and dry, meat which has not been frozen will keep the following length of time: veal and pork, one day; lamb, two days; beef and mutton, from three to ten days; large poultry and game-birds, from three to six days; small game from two to five days, and large game about a week. In clear winter weather, meat and game frozen in the air will keep until there are signs of a thaw: they should then be put into an ice-house, where they will remain frozen, or thawed out in cold water and speedily used. In warm, muggy weather, and during summer rains, meat exposed to the air spoils quickly; and the conditions of warmth and moisture to which it is exposed are not unlike those which prevail when frozen meat is exposed to the heat of the fire in roasting and baking. Meats should be hung up, and entirely covered with thin cloth or fly-screens, in a cool, dark place, free from dampness: they should not be laid upon dishes or boards, because the blood which flows from them taints more quickly than the flesh itself. It is for the purpose of entirely removing this blood, that butchers scrape their meat-blocks instead of washing them. Meats designed for broiling, roasting, and baking can be hung longer than those which are to be boiled. FISH. In selecting fish, have it as fresh as possible. This condition is indicated by the fulness and brightness of the eyes, and the clean skin and firm flesh: above all, the odor should be sweet and fresh. Fish which is marketed in a frozen state should be thawed in cold water, and cooked at once. Sea-fish, and those which run from the sea into bays and rivers, have the finest flavor: fresh-water fish sometimes have a muddy taste, which can be removed to some extent by soaking them in salted cold water for a couple of hours before they are cooked. All fish are best before spawning: after that period, the flesh becomes soft and watery. Good crabs and lobsters are heavy in proportion to their size, and while uncooked their movements are rapid if they are in good condition: if cooked, their odor is sweet as long as they are good. Oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels should be eaten as fresh as possible always. Salted and smoked fish should always have a good odor and clean appearance. VEGETABLES AND FRUIT. All juicy and green vegetables should be very fresh and succulent, and are best just before flowering, as also are the sweet herbs called pot-herbs. Roots and tubers should be full and fresh-colored: if withered or sprouted, they are inferior. The green vegetables should not be bought in larger quantity than can be used while they are still fresh: they will keep best if sprinkled with water, and laid in a cool, dark place. All the roots and tubers are improved by laying them in cold water for an hour before using them. Details of the keeping of vegetables are given elsewhere. Fruit when fresh should be ripe and sound, as perfect as possible (because this will make less waste), and bought only in quantities which admit of speedy use, unless it is winter-fruit which can be kept without any danger of spoiling. Preserved and dried fruits keep well in cool, dark places, and so may be bought safely in quantities. DAIRY PRODUCTS AND GROCERIES. Milk, butter, cheese, and eggs are so perishable that it is not well to purchase them in quantities larger than required for a few days' use, unless the family is large and can consume such amounts as are sold at wholesale prices. The detail of keeping them has been given elsewhere. The corn and wheat products, and cereals in general, may be bought by the large quantity if there is a good dry storeroom where they can be secured from destructive vermin and mouldiness. CHAPTER III. METHODS OF COOKING. WHATEVER the manner chosen for the dressing of food, it can be traced to some one of the comparatively few fundamental methods of cookery. These methods will be given in this chapter in sufficient detail to enable the least-experienced cook to follow them readily. If the fact is once accepted, that in cookery similar results follow definite operations as certainly as they do in any other manual work, there need be no uncertainty or failure. Let any one understand that it requires a fixed degree of heat to make water boil, and it will not be expected to boil at any less heat: it is equally to be supposed, that, if a safe and easy way is shown to accomplish a given result in cooking, it will be generally followed in preference to less clear and reasonable ways of work. ROASTING. The most primitive cookery was undoubtedly done at an open fire. And it yet remains for science to find a better method; for this reason, when it is possible, meat should be roasted before an open fire, rather than baked in an oven as most so-called roasts are now cooked. At the old-fashioned open fire upon the hearth, it was easy to roast, because there was in the same spot before the fire the intense heat required for cooking, and the constantly changing current of air necessary to carry away from the meat the fumes of burning fat, which must impair its flavor, and the steam set free from its interior, which destroys the crispness of its surface if confined about it as in baking. In the oven, the fat drawn out by intense heat spatters against the hot sides, and burns; while the steam generated by heat from the natural moisture of the meat, if confined to the oven, cannot fail to soften the surface. This point will be reverted to in treating of baking meats. It is possible to roast meat before many of the modern cook-stoves and ranges, because there is a movable front before the grate containing the fuel. When this is the case, meat can be roasted with aid of the tin case open on one side, called the Dutch- or tin-oven. A clear, hot fire should be made. The meat, properly prepared, should be hung in the oven, and placed directly in front of the grate; the greatest available heat being required to quickly crisp the surface, and thus retain the juices of the meat. The tin ovens are generally provided with a movable hook in the top, upon which the meat is hung, and by means of which it can be turned without changing the position of the oven: some of the ovens are made with an automatic spring, that keeps the meat constantly revolving upon the hook, and so favors a uniformly brown surface. In the various recipes in this volume, for roast meats, full directions are given for their treatment, so that here it is necessary only to say that they should be cleansed by wiping with a wet cloth, instead of being washed, because water extracts their juices; that no salt should be applied to cut surfaces until they are brown, because that, too, has a tendency to draw out their juices; and that no water should be put into the dripping-pan for basting, because it can never get as hot as the hot fat upon the surface of the meat, and it also generates steam which impairs the crispness so desirable in a roast. Basting should be done with the drippings which flow from the meat, or with butter. After the meat is brown, it may be seasoned; and, if a "frothed" surface is desired, flour may be dredged upon it every time it is basted. Directions for making gravy are included in each recipe for the different roasts. Anthracite coal, coke, charcoal, hard -wood embers, and gas afford good heat for roasting, because their heat is intense, and they do not impart any unpleasant odor to the meat. BAKING. As is said in the preceding paragraph, baking is not the most desirable way of cooking meat; but the ovens are often available when an open fire cannot be reached. When there are two or more ovens in a stove or range, they should be set apart for the baking for which they are specially adapted. The hottest should be chosen for meats, because equally in baking as in roasting it is desirable that the first exposure of meat should be to the greatest obtainable heat, in order to quickly crisp its surface, and confine its natural juices: besides this, there is the additional fact to be remembered, that meat put into a cool oven will sometimes become tainted before it is cooked; that is, the degree of heat will be high enough to forward rapid decomposition, but not high enough to cook the meat. The oven should be too hot to permit the hand to be held in it even for a moment. It cannot be too hot at first; for, the more quickly the outside of the meat is crisped, the more entirely its juices are retained. The heat can be moderated when it has served this purpose. To prepare the meat for baking, wipe it with a cloth wet in cold water, but do not wash it, because that tends to draw out the juices; trim off all defective portions; lay it in a baking-pan without salting it, and quickly brown it; it may then be seasoned, and "frothed" by dredging it with flour and basting it with drippings or butter. The bones cut from the joint may be put into the pan with it; and a little beef - suet, or salt pork if it is not fat enough to yield drippings, or some scraps of vegetables and sweet herbs, may be used under it. But no water should be put into the pan: the water, even when boiling, is not as hot as the outside of the meat; and, in addition, the steam which rises from it softens the entire surface of the meat, and draws out its juices. It is futile to expect to restore the extracted juices by means of basting; if the meat is not washed or salted, and is quickly browned, it will retain its juices so entirely that a rich gravy will flow from it when it is carved. Directions are given elsewhere for making gravy from the drippings of baked meats. The reason why separate ovens should be used for meat and pastry is because the particles of fat which fly from the meat while it is baking burn upon the sides of the oven, and impart their odor and flavor to delicate cakes and pastry. Different meats should not be baked in the same pans: the fact that they are often so cooked at hotels and restaurants is one reason why such meats generally lack their distinctive flavor. The bread and pastry ovens do not require to be so hot as those in which meat is baked, and means must be devised to moderate their heat when it is excessive; opening the doors, or slides in the doors, of the ovens, cools them rapidly. Their temperature should always be ascertained before any thing is put into them to cook. All the flues, and the top and bottom of the ovens, should be kept free from ashes, and the dampers should always be in good working order. When an oven is too hot at the top, cool it by opening the door, and then guard the top of whatever substance is baking by covering it with buttered paper or with an extra pan turned over it. If the oven is apt to burn from the bottom, cover it half an inch deep with clean sand: this will disperse the superfluous heat evenly throughout the oven. If an oven will not heat, have it attended to by the stove-maker or tin-smith: if an oven is without ventilation, have the close door changed for one supplied with ventilators. The latest improvement in stove-ovens is the attachment of a wire-gauze door in place of the iron door: the idea is an admirable one. BROILING. The general principles of roasting apply to broiling. The circulation of free air around the meat carries away from it all the smoke arising from the burning fat, at the same time with the products of combustion from the fire. The fire must be hot enough to quickly sear the cut surface of the meat, and only when this is done will the juices be retained. Meat for broiling should be cut from an inch to an inch and a half thick; the surface should be scraped with the back of a knife, to remove sawdust and bonedust, and then wiped with a wet cloth, but not washed. It is useless to attempt to broil well with a poor fire; for the meat will be smoked, and will lose part of its valuable juices. When the fire is clear, put the meat over it, as close as possible to it, and crisp first one side and then the other; if the fire is very hot, it will not be necessary to turn the meat repeatedly while it is being browned. After both sides of the meat are brown, hold it far enough away from the fire to prevent burning, and finish cooking it to the desired point; when the fire is hot, and the meat cut as directed above, it will cook medium-rare in from fifteen to twenty minutes. A good way to hold the meat away from the fire, after the first browning, is to place two bricks on either side of the opening in the stove which contains the fire, and lay the ends of the gridiron upon them; the distance can be regulated by changing the position of the bricks. After the meat is browned on both sides, it can be tested without cutting into it, or removing it from the gridiron, by quickly pressing the tip of one finger upon it: if, when the pressure is removed, the meat springs up again, the fibre is still elastic because it is uncooked, and if the meat were cut it would be found to be very rare; when, after the pressure, the surface of the meat slowly returns to its original level, the meat is medium-rare; when the meat retains the mark of the pressure, it is well done. While the meat is being broiled, heat a dish to receive it: after it is laid upon the hot dish, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, on both sides, and serve it at once. Broiled meat always deteriorates by being left standing near the fire any length of time after it is cooked. FRYING. Frying proper is performed by entirely immersing any edible substance in enough smoking-hot fat to cover it; but a form of half-frying is sometimes used for steaks and chops when broiling is out of the question. When this kind of frying is properly done, the meat will be juicy, well-flavored, and will closely resemble broiled meat. It is necessary to make the frying-pan very hot over the fire, before putting the meat into it. Any kind of frying-pan can be used without danger of burning the meat and gravy, except a marbleized-iron pan, which is unsuitable for use over intense heat. When the frying-pan is so hot that it will siss when the meat touches it, put in the meat, and brown it quickly, first upon one side and then upon the other, as in broiling; then finish cooking it to the desired degree, and season and serve it: in fact, the process is similar to broiling, save that the hot frying-pan replaces the fire. If gravy is desired for fried meat, stir a tablespoonful of dry flour with the little drippings in the frying-pan, and when the flour is brown stir into it a pint of boiling water; season the gravy with salt and pepper, stir it until it boils, and then serve it in a gravy -bowl. No butter or fat need be put into the pan unless the meat is absolutely lean: in that case, use only enough to prevent the burning of the meat. The frying of fish -balls, croquettes , doughnuts, and other foods should be done in a deep frying-pan, or round-bottomed kettle called a Scotch bowl, half full of drippings, lard, butter, or olive-oil, at choice: olive-oil is the best medium for frying fish of any kind. The fat must be placed over the fire until a thin smoke begins to rise from its surface: at that temperature, its heat will crisp the outside of any food put into it, and so prevent that soaking of fat which renders some fried foods so unwholesome. As soon as the fried article is browned to the desired degree, and floats upon the surface of the hot fat, remove it with a skimmer, lay it upon brown paper for a moment to free it from grease, and then serve it at once. BOILING. Boiling consists of immersing any article in actually boiling water, and maintaining the temperature of the water at the boiling-point until the article is cooked. Stewing and simmering are forms of boiling, as will be explained hereafter. Rapid and continued boiling slightly hardens the surface of vegetables, thus preserving their form, color, and flavor, and is advantageous: details on this point are given in the recipes for cooking vegetables. On the other hand, the hard boiling of meat makes it tough: stewing and simmering are the best ways of cooking meat after it has once been brought to the boiling-point. Salted boiling water is slightly hotter than fresh boiling water : chemists make use of salt to heighten the temperature of water in the bain-marie , or salt-water bath, in which vessels are placed containing boiling substances which require an unvarying high heat. To boil fresh meat, plunge it into salted boiling water, and, when the water boils again, place the vessel containing it where the boiling will be maintained at a gentle degree until the article is cooked. If salt or smoked meats are to be boiled, place them over the fire in cold water, and let the water gradually approach the boiling-point; maintain a gentle boiling until the meat is tender: if the meat is very salt, it may be necessary to pour away the first water, and replace it with more that is actually boiling. When salted meats are to be used cold, they are best if allowed to cool in the water in which they are boiled. The details of boiling the different meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, and puddings, are given in the proper recipes. Stewing and simmering consist of first bringing any article of food to the boiling-point in water or sauce, and then continuing the cooking at a very gentle rate of boiling until the food is done. These kinds of boiling make food very tender and digestible, and prepare its properties for immediate and complete nutrition: they are invaluable in treating tough meats. STEAMING. Steaming is an excellent way of cooking, calculated to prepare food for imparting all its nutriment to the system. It preserves all the flavor of food, and prevents its absorption of water when this is undesirable. Steaming can be done in any kind of steamer, or in a closed kettle or mould immersed in boiling water. BRAISING. Braising consists of cooking any article of food in water or sauce, in a braising-pan. This pan may be either round or oval, with a flat bottom, and a depressed cover made to hold hot coals or ashes. Braising is more practised in Europe than in America, because there fuel is scarce and expensive: it was in vogue in this country when cooking was done over open fires, the vessel used being called a bake-kettle or old-fashioned Dutch-oven. The same effect may be produced by putting a covered saucepan containing food into a moderately hot oven and so cooking the food to the required degree. BLANCHING. Any articles of food, except sweetbreads and almonds, are said to be blanched when they have been immersed in boiling water for a given length of time: sweetbreads must be previously soaked in cold salted water, and almonds subsequently rubbed with a cloth to remove their skins. Details of these two operations are given in the appropriate recipes. GLAZING AND GILDING. Glazing is coating the outside of cooked meat and poultry with melted meat -glaze or concentrated broth, the glazed surface being dried by heat after the glaze is applied with a brush. Roasted and baked meats are frequently glazed. Gilding is covering any surface of food with the beaten yolk of a raw egg, and subsequently drying or browning it in the oven. Fancy pastry is generally gilded. LARDING AND DAUBING. Larding is the insertion of small, even-size strips of fat salt pork, tongue, truffles, or any chosen substance, upon the surface of meat, poultry, fish, or game, by means of a little split cylinder of steel called a larding-needle. The lardoons are inserted in the open end of the needle, which is then passed under about half an inch of the surface of the substance to be larded: when the needle is withdrawn, the lardoon remains, both ends projecting slightly. The lardoons are inserted in diagonal lines, the ends of the second line coming between the ends of the first, and so alternating until all the lardoons are used; or they are placed to resemble the stitch in needlework called herring-bone. Details of illustration accompany some of the larded entrÉes given farther on in this volume. Daube is a French term referring to the insertion of a large lardoon with the grain of the meat and through its entire substance, the ends of the lardoon projecting about an inch. In this country, butchers frequently daube beef for the dish called beef à la mode , and call the operation larding. BARDING. Barding is fastening over the breast of a bird of any kind a large thin slice of fat salt pork, which in cooking serves the purpose of basting. Poultry and game are barded. BONING. The operation of boning consists of the entire removal of all the bones from uncooked meat, and the insertion in their place of some kind of force-meat. Details for boning various joints of meat are given under the appropriate recipes. Boned poultry and birds of all kinds are prepared according to the following directions. The removal of bones from cooked birds is not to be called boning: those cooks who so prepare chicken, and call it "boned chicken, " simply create a confusion of terms. One reason why there is so much uncertainty about American cookery is because many housekeepers modify a standard dish according to their own ideas, and then retain the original name. If they have the ability to improve upon an accepted method, they ought to name their dish, so as to give it individuality, as justly as inventors who improve upon a patent announce the changes by a new name. To bone a turkey, or any bird, lay it on a table with the breast down, after it has been carefully plucked, singed, and wiped with a wet towel; cut off the head, the legs above the middle joint, and the wings within two inches of the body; with a small, sharp knife, make a smooth cut through the skin and flesh, down the line of the backbone, from the neck to the rump; then begin at the neck to cut off the flesh and skin together from the carcass; work with the point of the knife, holding it flat against the bone, and cutting all the flesh off attached to the skin; first cut from the neck to the joint where the wing is connected with the body, then unjoint that, and leave the bone of the wing in the flesh for the present, and continue to cut down the back and sides until the thigh -joint is reached; unjoint that, leaving the bone in the leg, and cut toward the breast-bone, being careful not to cut through the skin where it is stretched tight over the breast. When the flesh of one side of the bird is loosened from the carcass in this way, turn it over, and take off the other side. Great care must be taken not to cut through the carcass into the intestines, which may remain enclosed in it until it is entirely freed from the flesh and skin. The most difficult part of the operation is cutting off the breast without breaking or tearing the skin : if this accident happens, the aperture must be sewed up before the bird is stuffed. When the flesh is free from the carcass, lay it, skin down, on the table, and distribute the flesh equally all over the skin, cutting the thickest portions, and laying them open like the leaves of a book, so as to cover the skin; cut out the wing and thigh bones, and turn the flesh and skin inside like the fingers of a glove reversed. Remove the entrails from the carcass, saving the liver; break apart the bones, put them in a large kettle with four quarts of cold water and a tablespoonful of salt, and let the water heat. Remove all scum as it rises, and when the broth is free from it put in a medium-size carrot and a white turnip peeled and used uncut; a white onion, peeled without breaking the layers and stuck with a dozen cloves. Hold a small bunch of parsley in the palm of the left hand; lay on it a small stalk of celery, a bay-leaf, a sprig of any sweet herb except sage, a blade of mace, and a dozen peppercorns or a small red-pepper pod; fold the parsley so as to enclose all the other seasonings, and tie it in a compact little bundle; this is called a bouquet, or fagot of herbs, in French cookery-books, and serves to give an indescribable and delicious flavor to the dishes in which it is cooked; add it to the broth, and then put on the turkey to boil, after stuffing it as directed in the recipe for forcemeat for boned turkey. The four recipes for boning a turkey, for preparing the forcemeat for stuffing it, and for making caramel and aspic jelly, comprise the entire operation of boning, cooking, and garnishing boned turkey. These directions are taken from the author's "Baltimore Recipes," a set which includes the dishes taught during one of her lecture-courses in that city. CHAPTER IV. CARVING. IF a little reasoning were applied to carving, it would seem far less difficult than it is supposed to be. A little attention to the location in a bird, fish, or joint of meat, of the bones and joints, enables any person with a tolerably correct eye and steady hand to strike and separate the joints and sinews of small dishes, and to avoid the unmanageable bones in the larger ones. The cuts in this chapter will serve to illustrate the garnishing of dishes as well as carving. WHOLE FISH. The carving of fish is simple. The following cut represents a baked fish garnished with parsley. Before cooking, the fins and tail are trimmed close, and several deep cuts made in each side of the fish to permit the gravy or drippings used for basting to penetrate the flesh; the head is left on, because some persons prefer the small flakes of flesh which lie under and back of the eyes. The fish is laid upon a little sauce or a folded napkin, on a hot dish, and garnished with a little parsley. To carve either a baked or a boiled fish, run the fish -knife by the side of the back fin, from the figure I to 2; next, cut from the back fin down to the middle of the under part of the fish, following the dotted lines; then, by slipping the fish -knife under the cut portions, they can be easily lifted off and served. After one side has been served, the fish can be laid over upon the dish, and the other side served in the same way; this gives a portion of both Baked Fish garnished with Parsley. An Illustration of a baked fish garnished with parsley. the thick flesh of the back and the thin gelatinous fat part so esteemed by epicures. HEAD AND SHOULDERS OF FISH. The engraving here given shows the head and shoulders of a large fish garnished with turned vegetables and parsley. The platter containing the fish is placed over a hot-water dish. To carve such a cut of fish, cut from the direction of the Head and Shoulders of Fish. Illustration of the head and shoulders portion of a fish laying on a plate with grapes. figure I towards 2, following the dotted line; then cut from the top of the back down to the under part, in the direction of the dotted lines: this will enable the carver to serve either the thick portion from the back of the neck, or the under part which is rich and gelatinous. This is a favorite way of serving boiled salmon, or cod 's head and shoulders. FISH LARDED AND BAKED. This cut gives a very good idea of a fish larded and baked, and then garnished with mushrooms, turned vegetables, and parsley. The operation of larding is described elsewhere. To serve the fish, cut across the lower edge of the larded portion, in the direction from I to 2, and then cut from the centre of the back down the larded side, following the Fish larded and baked. An Illustration of a fish laying on a plate larded and baked. dotted lines. Serve the larded portion, and some of the vegetable garnish and the sauce; usually a bowl of sauce accompanies this dish to the table. HALF LARGE BOILED FISH. This picture represents half a large fish, such as fluke, turbot, or chicken halibut, boiled, and garnished with parsley. To serve it, cut from the outer edge towards the middle, and lift the slices off with the fish -knife. The dotted lines indicate the direction which the knife should take. Half a medium-size turbot will serve about ten people. Half Large boiled Fish. An Illustration of a half large boiled fish on a platter. WHOLE TURBOT GARNISHED. When a large turbot, chicken halibut, or fluke is served entire, it is made an important part of the course, and much care is bestowed upon the garnishing of the dish. The engraving represents a turbot garnished with lobster, a craw-fish, and parsley. The fish is boiled in a special kettle, to prevent breaking. While it is being boiled, a large lobster is cooked, and the meat removed from the shell without Whole Turbot garnished. Illustration of a whoe turbot on a plate garnished. breaking it apart; this can easily be done by cutting away a portion of the under part of the shell with a can-opener, and removing the flesh as entire as possible: the available part of the flesh is then cut in large slices, to be used as shown in the picture between the crawfish and the lobster-shell . The slices are kept in place by being put upon a long flexible skewer; and the crawfish and lobster are held upon the fish by a long ornamental skewer called a hatelet , or atelet . The smaller pieces of lobster, and the fat and coral, are made into lobster sauce, to serve with the boiled fish. To carve the turbot, follow the dotted lines, first cutting from I towards 2, and then along the dotted lines. The under gelatinous part and the thick portion of the fins are most esteemed by epicures; from the back, the best slices are from the middle of the dark side. In preparing the fish for cooking, leave on the fins; cleanse it carefully in plenty of cold water, rubbing salt plentifully over it, and then dry it with a soft cloth; cut a lemon, dip the cut side in salt, and rub it over the white side of the fish before boiling it. Other directions for carving fish will be given with the recipes for cooking the different dishes. POULTRY. After some attention has been paid to the location of the joints, care should be taken, in carving poultry, to fix it firmly with the fork to prevent slipping in the dish, and then to make clean cuts from the point where the knife is inserted. To hack the flesh, is to destroy much of the satisfaction of the eater; besides, well-carved poultry serves so many more at table than that which is hacked and torn. It is quite possible to take from a chicken which weighs about four pounds cooked, at least fourteen good pieces, averaging in size about three inches square. Of course it would not be feasible to illustrate the carving which accomplishes such a result, without many designs showing the successive stages in carving; but some description is included in that of the following cut of a fowl outlined for carving. LARDED FOWL. The strings used to keep the fowl in shape while cooking will of course be removed by the cook before it is served. To carve it, first insert the fork firmly in the breast-bone, at the point marked by the figure I; instead of cutting off the entire leg, first cut off the drumsticks at 2, and then the second joints, thus avoiding one of the most uncomfortable parts of carving poultry; with a very sharp, thin-bladed carving- Larded Fowl. Illustration of a larded fowl. knife, the entire fowl can be carved without removing the fork from the breast-bone. After the drumsticks and second joints are taken off, cut at the dotted line marked 3, in towards the body, removing the wings; next insert the point of the knife between the neck-bone where it joins the back-bone and the wing -side- bone, -- a small flat bone which unites with the collar of the breast-bone at the dotted line marked 4, about midway of the merry-thought or wish- bone, --and cut back towards the wing -joint, and thence downwards parallel with the upper part of the back- bone. With the wing -side- bone remove a portion of the white meat of the upper part of the breast. After the legs, wings, and wing -side- bones are removed, and the merry-thought taken off if it is desired separate, the point of the carving-knife can be inserted where the ribs join the sides of the breast-bone, where the dotted line marked 5 joins the dotted line 4; by turning the sharp edge of the knife outwards, the point being towards the thigh, and cutting from the inside out through the ribs where they join the breast-bone to the point at the lower end of the breast-bone marked 6, on both sides of the bird, the breast and entire back of the fowl can be separated. As the carving-fork still remains in the breast-bone, the breast can be cut in as many pieces as are desired before it is withdrawn. Finally, the back- bone can be broken where it joins the lower part of the ribs, at figure 7, and the two thigh-side-bones and the rump cut apart. A little study of this diagram and description, and practice with a reasonably tender fowl, will soon enable the carver to proceed with ease and precision. TO CARVE ROAST TURKEY. The directions for carving a fowl will apply to a turkey unless it is a very large one, and then probably only the Roast Turkey, Breast carved. Illustration of a Roast turkey with the breast carved on a large platter. breast and second joints of the legs will be required; in this case, cut off the drumsticks and second joints as directed in the carving of fowls, and then cut the breast as follows: first cut through the middle of the breast, following the line from I to 2; and then follow the dotted line from I, across the lower part of the breast, around the thigh and wing and across the breast where it joins the neck; after that, cut out slices of the breast in the direction of the dotted lines, cutting quite down to the bone, and then running the knife-blade close to the breast-bone to disengage the flesh from it. Sometimes the slices are taken off the breast in diagonal cuts, but that method does not equally divide the two filets of the breast. TURKEY PARTLY BONED. When all the bones have been removed from a fowl or turkey before roasting, except the wing and drumstick bones, Carving of Turkey partly boned. Illustration of a turkey that is partly boned sitting on a platter. slices may be cut as shown in the annexed cut. A recipe is given elsewhere for the preparation of this dish, which is garnished with aspic jelly and parsley. The first cut is made down the middle of the breast, from I to 2; and then the curved slices are made, cutting down into the forcemeat, or stuffing, of the bird. HOW TO CARVE DUCKS. When ducks are served, it is advisable to have a pair, because only the breast is to be relied upon for tender flesh. The dotted lines show the direction which the knife should take in carving, the cuts being made quite down to the breast-bone. The remainder of the carcass will make an Ducks carved. Illustration of two ducks ona platter that are carved. excellent ragoût; or a purÉe of game, if the ducks are wild. The garnish of ducks may be fried parsley or fresh water-cress . HOW TO CARVE ROAST GOOSE. A goose is so large that it is seldom necessary to carve the entire bird. The breast can be cut in the direction of the dotted lines from I to 2, and then from a semi-circular Roast Goose carved. Illustration of a Roast Goose on a platter that is carved. cut at the dotted line 3 some of the forcemeat, or stuffing of the bird can be taken. The garnish of the goose here shown is small tart apples fried whole, and small sausages broiled. If the entire bird is to be used, the drumsticks, thighs, and wings can be taken off at the dotted lines, and as much more cut as is desired, according to the directions given for carving fowls. GAME-BIRDS. The wild ducks are carved as shown in the engraving of roast ducks if they are large; if small, half the entire breast is cut out in one piece, and served to one guest. The remainder Roast Woodcock garnished. Illustration of a Roast Woodcock that is garnished. of the birds is used for ragoûts and purÉes. The smaller birds, such as wild pigeons and squabs, quail, woodcocks, and the various snipe, are served entire. Sometimes, if woodcock are very large, one cut may be made down the middle of the bird from I to 2. The toast under woodcock is always served with the bird. The garnish of the dish Roast Pheasant. Illustration of a Roast Pheasant on a platter. here shown is parsley and blood-oranges : there is no more acceptable garnish for birds than sub-acid oranges. The large game-birds , such as pheasants, partridge, grouse, moor- fowl, and prairie-chicken, are carved from the breast when they are large, and quartered or halved when of medium size. The cut of a pheasant will give a good idea of the carving of the different birds: the pheasant represented here is larded; the head, neck, and tail are added after the bird is cooked; and it is served on toast, garnished with lemon and parsley. MEATS. The carving of joints of meat is much simpler than poultry, once the position of the bones is understood. It is Leg of Mutton. Illustration of a leg of mutton on a platter. often possible to remove many of the bones of meat before cooking it; and this is desirable on the score of economy, as well as for convenience in carving. The first picture represents a leg of mutton cut through the choice part. Make the first cuts in the direction of the lines marked I and 2, and then follow the dotted lines: this will give slices of alternate fat and lean. When this does not afford enough for serving, other slices can be taken from the outer side of the leg, cutting around the bone in the same way. MUTTON BONED AND STUFFED. Both the leg and shoulder of mutton can be used very advantageously if the bone is removed, and the joint filled with a good stuffing before it is cooked. The accompanying cut shows a loin and leg, boned, stuffed, and baked, Leg of Mutton boned. Illustration of a leg of mutton boned. with a garnish of small balls of turnip boiled. The dotted lines show the direction of the first cuts: the final cut, from I to 2, releases the slices. Or the joint can be served by carving it directly from the large end, entirely down through the meat. SADDLE OF MUTTON LARDED. The saddle, or double loin, of mutton, is carved in a line Saddle of Mutton larded. Illustration of a Saddle of Mutton larded on a platter. with the back-bone, from I to 2, the knife running down through the lean quite to the bone. When the saddle is very large, these slices may be cut in two parts. The fat is to be cut in the direction of the dotted lines at 3. ROUND OF BEEF. The fresh round of beef closely filled with pieces of fat salt pork, or with a rich stuffing inserted with the grain, is carved across the grain, downward from one end, if it is placed on the platter as shown in the annexed cut. When the grain of the meat is presented lying upward from the Beef à la mode. Illustration of Beef a la mode on a platter. platter, the cuts are then made across the surface. A small slice of fat is generally cut with each slice of lean. The garnish of the beef is of boiled vegetables. The dish is often called beef à la mode , although it should be called à la daube . SIRLOIN OF BEEF. The sirloin of beef, which is the portion cut into the beefsteaks called "porterhouse," is carved in the direction of the dotted lines which range between the figures I and 2; the tenderloin, or filet , is carved in the dotted lines from 3 to 4, after the joint has been raised on the fork, with the bone resting on the platter, so as to permit the knife to enter the meat from the bottom. A small piece of fat is served with each slice of meat. When the bone has been removed, and the sirloin rolled before it is cooked, it is laid upon the Sirloin of Beef. Illustration of a slab of sirloin beef on a platter. platter on one end, and an even slice is taken across the grain of the upper surface. RIBS OR SIRLOIN OF BEEF BONED. When beef is boned and rolled tightly before it is cooked, it can be carved to much better advantage than when the Ribs or Sirloin boned. Illustration of Ribs and Sirloin beef boned on a platter. bones remain in it. Either the ribs or the sirloin can be treated in this way. A sharp, thin-bladed knife is used to remove the bones; and the meat is then rolled and tied compactly; after it is cooked, the string used to secure it is removed, and the meat served with a garnish of vegetables if they are desired. The accompanying picture shows a garnish of white turnips cut to resemble cups, and filled with green peas after both are cooked. The cylindrical pieces of vegetables may be made of carrots or turnips, and the little balls of potatoes . The two ornamental skewers at the ends are called hatelets . The meat is to be carved from the top downward, in the direction of the dotted lines from I to 2, either to the bottom or to the cross-line: in the latter case, the garnish need not be disturbed until the entire roll is carved. BEEF-TONGUES GARNISHED. Smoked tongues are most palatable when served with a garnish, which may include truffles as shown in the engraving. The truffles are cut in long, sharp cubes, and inserted Beef-Tongues garnished. Illustration of beef-tongues garnished on a platter. in quenelles , or large oval pieces of poached forcemeat : the smaller quenelles are made of plain forcemeat. A plainer garnish can be made of different vegetables. The upper part of the tongues can be carved in the direction of the dotted lines, between I and 2, or cut entirely through from the tip to the root as preferred. When the tongues are served cold, the vegetables must be suitably chosen for the garnish, and the quenelles highly seasoned and free from grease. ROAST HAM. The choice portion of a ham lies between the lines I and 2 in the accompanying engraving. In carving, the cuts are made from the upper surface, towards the bone in the centre of the ham. After the ham is cooked, the skin is removed Roast Ham. Illustration of a Roast Ham on a platter. from the greater part of it, and the end of the bone is trimmed off and ornamented with a paper frill. The engraving represents a hot roast ham garnished with hot string- beans , rissoles or little meat turnovers fried, and boiled vegetables cut with a small pear-shaped scoop. A cold ham would not have the vegetable garnish. COLD HAM WITH ASPIC JELLY. The accompanying engraving represents a cold roast or boiled ham garnished with aspic jelly. It can be carved in the same way as the hot ham, or in thin slices from the end, following the dotted lines from I to 2. The oval stand upon which the ham rests is usually made of wood, and covered with white paper, or a thin coating of hard white fat or of aspic jelly, applied with a brush while melted, and allowed to cool before placing the ham. Cold Ham with Aspic Jelly. Illustration of a cold ham with aspic jelly on a platter. HAND OR LEG OF YOUNG PORK. The hand of pork consists of the foot and leg of a young pig. The engraving shows the hand boned, stuffed, and served with a garnish of boiled sprouts or "greens." The carving can be done according to the dotted lines, or by beginning Hand of Pork. Illustration of a Hand of pork on a platter. at the upper end, and cutting directly down to the dish: this gives a portion of the meat and the forcemeat, and the garnish can be served at will. SADDLE OF VENISON. Venison, when served as a saddle, is carved somewhat like mutton, although the two joints shown in the pictures are trimmed differently before cooking, and the saddle of mutton is larded. The dotted lines from I to 2 show the position of the best portion of the lean: the choice fat lies near the kidneys, and is reached by cutting through the thin part at the end of the ribs between the figures 3 and 4. Currant-jelly is usually served with venison, and the vegetable garnish is of turnips, string-beans , and potato-balls : cauliflower Saddle of Venison. Illustration of a saddle of venison on a platter. is a good accompaniment for venison; and currant-sauce, currant-jelly sauce, vinegar and claret sauces, and venison-gravy are sent to the table with it. LARDED SADDLE OF VENISON. A saddle of venison designed for larding is more closely trimmed, and cut a little shorter, than the ordinary saddle. Larded Saddle of Venison. Illustration of a larded saddle of venison It can be carved in the same way, from I to 2; or slices may be cut downward in the line from 3 to 4, as loin chops are cut, through both fat and lean. The garnish consists of string-beans , small cups of turnips filled with green peas, or stuffed artichoke bottoms, and truffles. All venison should be served very hot. LARDED SHOULDER OF VENISON. When the shoulder of venison is larded, it is usually carved through the larded portion in the direction of the dotted lines running between the figures I and 2. It is sometimes boned and stuffed, and then the carving may be downward from 3 towards 4, through the entire joint, especially if many Larded Shoulder of Venison. Illustration of persons are to be served. A plain shoulder of venison is carved like a shoulder of mutton. The garnish of the larded shoulder is stoned olives and turned vegetables. BARDED HARE. The accompanying cut represents a hare dressed and placed on a spit for roasting, after being barded, or partly covered with a large slice of fat salt pork. The strings which confine the pork are removed before the hare is served, but the pork remains upon it. When the hare is cooked with forcemeat, or served with a garnish, a portion of either and of the pork used for barding is to be served. Barded and larded hares are preferable to those which are cooked plain, because the hare is naturally dry meat : a good Barded Hare. Illustration of a Barded Hare. sauce or gravy should always be served with hare. The carving of barded and larded hare is similar. LARDED HARE. The dotted lines in the following engraving of a larded hare will serve also to illustrate the carving of a barded hare. The larded hare is garnished with small birds barded and roasted, and with fried parsley. To carve a portion of the hare when there are a few persons to be served, insert the point of a sharp knife where the union of the head and body is indicated by the line marked I, and cut along the side of the back-bone toward the line at the top of the thigh marked 2; then follow the dotted lines marked 3, from the middle of the back down to the under part of the hare; run the knife under the meat, close to the back-bone and the ribs, and cut off the pieces; serve a bird with each one, and some of the sauce, and the forcemeat if the hare is stuffed. When the entire hare is to be carved, first take off the shoulders, cutting from 4 to 5, and then insert the knife between the leg and the body; bend the shoulder away from it; the few remaining bits of flesh which hold the shoulder to the body can then be severed; the thighs can then be removed Larded Hare. An Illustration of a Larded Hare on a platter. in the same way, cutting from 6 to 7; next the head can be cut off, following the line from I to 8; the entire body can then be split down one side of the back-bone, from I to 6, and both sides of the ribs divided along the lines marked 3. The head is a favorite portion with epicures, the ears and brains being especially prized: it is carved by cutting apart the upper and lower jaws at the line marked 9; the upper part of the head can then be cut open from 10 to 11. A medium-size hare will serve six or eight persons. Forcemeat-balls , pickled gherkins, lemon, and currant-jelly , are the plainer garnishes for roast hare. CHAPTER V. THE DINING-ROOM AND ITS FITTINGS. WE are all so unconsciously affected by surroundings, that a homelike room at once impresses us with an indefinable sense of comfort and welcome. A pretty aspect inspires us with cheer; a gloomy one depresses. Of all rooms in the house, the dining-room should be the cheeriest, because it is there that all the members of the family are most likely to congregate. No matter how widely the interests and occupations of father, mother, and children may separate them at other times of the day, the fact remains that at least one-fifth of their waking hours will probably be spent at the table. The intent business-man may find scant time for the ordinary social pleasures which may attract the other members of his family to the sitting-room, library, or drawing-room; but to the dining- room he must go if he ever lives at home. And for this reason, if for no other, when all the apartments of a house cannot be made equally attractive, preference should be given to this, the one most used in common. Many dining-rooms that we remember are furnished with dark wood; the walls are gloomy, or covered with dismal pictures of dead game and fish; the windows hung with stuff curtains, and the outlook is upon stone walls or paved courts. The ideal dining-room is bright with sun- or lamp-light; the window-draperies are such as to temper but not exclude air and sunshine; the pictures are of fruit or still life with bright colors; the chairs are comfortable, and the temperature a pleasant medium between heat and cold. The most modest establishments admits these possibilities, and from them the plainest repast gains a charm. Even where space is so limited that one room must answer both for the preparation and service of food, neatness and order can be maintained; and a little attention to the principles of ventilation will insure that freshness of the atmosphere which is so essential to the enjoyment of food. A VERY SIMPLE DINING-ROOM. Let us take an instance from the simplest effort at housekeeping; say, that the kitchen and dining-room are one. The floor may be bare; indeed, a wooden floor, clean, or stained to imitate dark wood, with one or more rugs,--which may be of rag-carpeting, drugget, or finer goods,--is preferable to a carpeted floor. For the same reason, wooden or bamboo blinds, or thin curtains of linen or cotton, are better than woollen window-draperies, because all woollen fabrics retain odors persistently. The walls can be clean, if there are no pictures; and if the chairs are of the straightest outline, they can be made comfortable with inexpensive cushions. There is no condition of life so lowly as to preclude the possibility of neatness at the table; if there is no linen, the table itself can be clean; if the supply of dishes is limited, it is far more kindly and gracious for the wife or daughter to rise from the table, and wash the plates and cutlery, than to allow meat and pudding to be eaten with the same appliances. When there is plenty of crockery, the trouble is slight compared with the subsequent comfort, if one of the family rises to bring clean plates and knives to replace the soiled ones; and the dignity of the most charming daughter of the house could suffer no detraction if she were to remove the crumbs from the cloth before placing the dessert upon it. A hungry man, pressed for time, perhaps hot and labor-stained, comes home for dinner; if he finds a freshly laid table awaiting him, with a neat little wife who has taken a few moments to tidy herself after cooking, ready to give him a hot and savory dinner, and looking as if she had not taken too much trouble to prepare either the dinner or herself for his coming, the chances are that he will feel an involuntary inclination to freshen himself before beginning his meal: if, on the other hand, he is greeted with the unwelcome sight of a disorderly table, ill-cooked food served in slovenly fashion, and a frowzy wife without a suggestion about her of the trim girl who first attracted his fancy, no one can blame him if he throws himself into his chair unwashed, bolts his food surlily, and hurries away from such a foretaste of purgatory. Just here a bit of the philosophy of common life fits admirably,--the adaptability of persons to circumstances; the ever-recurring forbearance with the individual idiosyncrasies of different members of the family; consideration for personal traits and peculiarities. Every newly married wife, and some old ones, would do well to heed this little commentary on careless living. No matter how limited the household fittings, they can be kept clean: and, above all things, personal cleanliness is a matter of personal choice. Take the dinner--any family dinner may be served in the plainest way, and accepted by its eaters as a good dinner; but with the addition of a little care in dishing and serving, it may assume the aspect of a holiday feast. One of my Syracuse friends, when considering the merits of rival candidates for the supremacy of her kitchen, had this qualification urged upon her: "Mem, I have lived with Mrs. W. on James Street, and she always has her dishes varnished ." Of course the girl intended to say "garnished." Think for a moment of the difference. Our bill of fare may be plain,--roast mutton with mashed potatoes, a dish of sliced tomatoes, and cups of custard or blancmange: that is a very simple dinner. By putting around the mutton on the dish a few green leaves of parsley, celery, or watercress, the plain dish is made ornamental; the mashed potatoes can be heaped lightly on a platter, and browned in a hot oven, before serving them; the sliced tomatoes can be arranged in even circles in a pretty dish or salad-bowl, with a few green sprigs of celery, parsley, or cress, in the centre; and the custard or blancmange , after being turned from the cups, can be ornamented by cutting a little hollow in the top of each, with a teaspoon, and filling it with a piece of any brightly colored jelly. With a clean cloth and napkins, and brightly polished cutlery and glass, the plain dinner takes on the aspect of a feast; and all these little embellishments are within the reach of very modest households. DECORATIVE ART THE REFLEX OF NATURE. Whether the family resources are narrow, or admit of some indulgence of taste in the choice of decorations in living-rooms, one rule should be followed: Do not encourage shams: let every thing be genuine. Do not paint wood to imitate bronze, or plaster to look like stone. Follow nature, and good taste will not be offended. Do not substitute the grotesque for the graceful, or make a sacrifice of comfort to carry out an idea. Remember that there is an eternal fitness in things. Comfort and taste can easily be combined. We may trust human nature to suggest the former: the latter is the fruit of unrecognized passing influences. The chance glimpse of a beautiful picture, the warmth of color flashing from some luxuriant country garden or glowing mass of flowers in a florist's window, the waving of sun-lit branches, the shifting panorama of the sky,-all feed our artistic inspirations. From art and nature, culture comes to the fancy ardent enough to admit its impressions. And the degree of culture possible to individuals shows itself in the homes they make for themselves. The family living-room may be plain in its appointments; but there is no reason why every one of its uncomfortable angles should not be filled with soft, restful cushions. The children leave traces of their growing-up in it. The faces of the old people who have there lived out their lives look down from its walls. The atmosphere is pregnant with personalities, if we will but feel them; so all these homely places are sacred to sweet and tender memories. We should never seek to change the aspect of our homes when we open them to our friends, if we want them to feel at home with us. We may sweep and freshen, if we will, for cleanliness and order are the first of home virtues; but we need not mask our houses any more than we would ourselves when we play the host. Good cheer and pleasant welcome, such as ought always to rule, are the soul of hospitality. SIDEBOARDS AND TABLES. In fitting the dining-room, its capacities should be studied. Unless there is ample space, no superfluous ornamentation should be attempted: all desirable room should be given to the necessary furniture. A movable extension-table for the centre of the room, and a side-table for carving and another for extra table furniture, will be needed, in addition to a buffet or sideboard. This carving-table can be made with side or corner supports holding shelves, and mounted on rollers so that it can be brought near the dining-table when it is required. The next two cuts are taken from Dubois, and show a movable table and hot-closet combined, with folding door upon one side, which can be opened in order to expose the dishes to the heat of the fire, and doors at the front through which the dishes can be arranged before the fire. The sideboard may be of any fancied design which affords Front of Hot-closet, with Doors. Illustration of the front of a Hot-closet, with doors and a stack of plates on top of it. the convenience of shelves for plate and table ornaments, and drawers and under-closets for linen, cutlery, plate, and fine glass-ware. The drawers used for plate, and the under-closets, should be provided with locks. A massive old-fashioned sideboard of great beauty was arched in the centre of the lower part, to afford space for a carved wine-cooler of the same general design, provided with a shelved compartment for salads and cold dessert-dishes. The kettle-drum tables for afternoon teas are small and portable, with a double shelf fixed under the top, midway of the legs, to hold extra cups and plates. But these tables belong in the parlor or reception-rooms, where refreshments are passed upon trays, and either held by the guests or placed upon some convenient stand. There should be several such tables in a room. When a looking-glass or mirror is used, either as part of a sideboard or for wall decoration in the dining-room, care should be taken that no rays of sunlight strike it; because their chemical action will destroy the perfect distribution of the amalgam with which the reverse of the glass is coated, and so cause an appearance of granulation or crystallization upon the surface of the mirror. DECORATIONS OF CHINA AND PLATE. When fine china or old pieces of plate are used in decorating the dining-room, they should be disposed above the doors and fireplace, on shelves or brackets. The over-mantel can be made a beautiful part of dining-room decoration; and a railed bracket can be run around the entire room just above the head, after the fashion shown in the drawings given elsewhere of the dining-room in which the table is laid. In the summer, when the open fire is not needed, the fireplace can be hidden by a curtain, run upon a rod set under the edge of the mantle-shelf; this curtain should not Back of Hot-closet, facing the Fire. Illustration of the back of a hot-closet that has shelves with various baking pans on it. be made of the double-faced canton flannel, or fashion-cloth, because the material is very inflammable; any other fancy woollen fabric will answer the purpose. CHAIRS FOR THE DINING-ROOM. Dining-chairs should be rather lightly constructed, so that they can be moved with ease; they can be made absolutely comfortable with practicable cushions, and small hassocks can be placed under the table for additional comfort. WINDOWS AND DRAPERIES. The arrangement of windows in the dining-room deserves attention. Not only the aspect of the room, but its healthfulness, depends upon the free admission of light and air. The use of any other material than woollen has already been advocated for window-hangings; the coolest for summer are bamboo or Venetian blinds, movable at will upon cords worked from inside the windows. An improvement upon the outside window-blind opening from the middle lifts the two blinds from their hinges, unites them in the centre, and then, by hinges at the top of the casement, lowers or raises them at will; a very simple form of movable cloth awning described by the author in "Harper's Bazar" of Sept. 22, 1883, answers the same purpose; and either contrivance replaces the more expensive regulation window-awning. The East-Indian devices called punkahs and tatties --thick screens of woven fragrant rushes, hung before doors or windows, and saturated with water --cool the air of the room perceptibly. A woollen blanket, or even a thick sheet, suspended in such openings, and kept wet, will lower the interior temperature from 7° to 10° Fah., even in sultry summer weather. In any case, this fact is to be remembered: of all materials, woollen will the longest retain moisture and odor, and therefore is the least desirable for draping dining-room windows or doors, unless they are to be kept wet to cool the air. When the outlook of dining-room windows is upon blank walls and paved yards, the unsightly prospect may be hidden without excluding light, by using Madras-muslin curtains, or any similar opaque drapery which permits the free passage of light and air. Figured lace, cheese-cloth, sheer nettings with dried fern or autumn leaves gummed upon them, will serve this purpose. Window-glass may be made opaque by patting it gently in every part with a piece of soft putty enclosed in a sheer muslin fabric, and then drying the surface of the glass; of course this will not admit of washing. There are many pretty patented devices of semi-transparent imitations of stained glass, which can be applied to ordinary glass windows when the expense of genuine stained or painted glass cannot be incurred. When there is both money and space at will, there can be no more appropriate or enjoyable window-decoration than that of stained or painted glass. The infinite variety in form and coloring offered in artistic and lovely designs makes an embarrassment of riches in this form of decoration. LIGHT IN THE DINING-ROOM. If it is possible to admit sunshine to the dining-room, it should be done; at least, plenty of light should be secured. In California, where the climate permits open windows, and where the houses are generally detached, the fashion prevails of building bay-windows to catch from all points the sunshine and wandering airs that charm the senses in all seasons. When location permits, the windows of the dining-room should reflect harmonies of light and color. In the country this is possible, as also is the delight of an out-door dining-room upon the piazza or lawn; but in cities the dependence for such accessories must be placed upon neutral-tinted walls and draperies, enlivened by freshly colored pictures, the light of open fires, and the soft colors of candle-flame and shaded lamps. If there can be only one open fire in the house, put it in the dining-room. One of the most acceptable effects of light is obtainable from the use of colored tissue paper for lamp- shades. The loveliest remembered one was seen in a delightful Southern home,--a lamp entirely hidden in a mass of pink roses, so artistically concealed that real sunlight seemed shining through a cloud of roses. These flower lamp-shades can be made by any deft fingers. They are quite safe to use until the paper becomes very dry and crisp, nearly charred by the heat of the lamp; then they should be renewed. Candles and lamps give a softer and more acceptable light than gas; and there are now so many devices for making both available, that it has come to be a matter of choice in their use; they are specially effective at the dinner-table. DINING-ROOM FLOORS. The fact has been mentioned in connection with window-draperies, that all woollen fabrics attract and retain odors, especially those arising from heated fat; for this reason, as well as upon the score of cleanliness, a movable carpet or rug is better for dining-room use than one nailed to the floor. Even in ordinary grades of carpeting, good colors are now available, and can be so combined that centre and border present an acceptable appearance. The rug can be shaken often, and hung for several hours in the air and sunlight, while the floor of the dining-room is being cleaned. When rugs are used, the margin of floors exposed should always be in good condition. If the wood of the floor is fine-grained, and the planks are neatly fitted together, it may simply be cleaned frequently, dry-scrubbing with sawdust being the best method; or it can be kept oiled or polished. When the wood is inferior, or imperfectly joined, the irregularities should be planed off, the nail-holes and cracks filled in with putty, and the floor subsequently painted or stained. Good methods are subjoined for producing all these different effects, together with hints for keeping the floors in good order after they are colored. When there is a smooth, hard floor of natural wood, it can be kept in perfect condition by dusting it daily, either with a soft, flexible brush, or a soft woollen cloth. The cloth may be used in the hand, or fastened to a long wooden handle to obviate the necessity for stooping. Linen and cotton fabrics are apt to leave lint upon the boards. In addition to the daily dusting, a weekly dry-scrubbing with sawdust is preferable to washing with water; even for varnished or painted floors, sawdust scrubbing is better than the use of water, which destroys the gloss of the surface, and gradually impairs its integrity by more or less absorption of moisture, especially in damp or foggy places. SAWDUST SCRUBBING. Use clean, dry sawdust; scatter it by the handful upon that part of the floor farthest from the door, covering three or four square feet of the floor; then with a stiff new scrubbing-brush, set with short bristles, scrub the floor with the motion used in scrubbing with water; if any spot is unusually soiled, scrub a little harder over it, using extra sawdust. When the entire floor has been scrubbed, sweep up the sawdust, and burn it, and dust off the floor before putting down the rugs. DRY SCRUBBING WITH SAND. Fine white sea-sand can be used upon unpainted floors, in the same way as the sawdust, but is not so perfect a purifier; the only advantage is that the sand can be washed and dried, and used repeatedly. The same process is to be followed as with the sawdust. HOW TO PREPARE FLOORS FOR OILING AND STAINING. When the surface of the floor is uneven, it must be planed down, or rubbed smooth with coarse sandpaper, any projecting nails being first removed. The nail-holes and small cracks must be filled with putty: the large cracks may be filled in with strips of wood. When the floor is quite even, it should be washed clean, and allowed to dry thoroughly; then dust it, and finish it by any chosen process. The vehicle chosen for finishing the floor should be mixed in a rather shallow open basin or bucket admitting the free use of the brushes or rags used in applying the stain or polish. There should be two rags or brushes, one for applying the coloring, and the other for rubbing it well into the crevices of the wood: a small rag or brush is required for the corners and along the wainscoting. Begin to work in the corner farthest from the door. Do not have any open doors or windows if there is any dust flying. Brush or rub with the grain of the wood; make irregular stops, not straight defined lines across the floor; when the wood of the floor is well-grained, have the color mixed thin enough for the grain to show through it, and use strength to rub the color well into the grain of the wood. Soft woods will absorb more stain than hard ones; but a fair proportion is a quart of stain to sixteen square yards of flooring, and half a pint of varnish to protect the stain. After applying one mixture, the brushes must be thoroughly washed in warm water, and dried before using them for another; one brush should be flat and wide for the open floor, and another small for the corners. OILING HARD-WOOD FLOORS. A perfectly smooth hard-wood floor can be kept in good order by daily dusting, and a weekly wiping with a soft cloth wrung out of warm water; the use of soap is to be avoided, because it would neutralize the oily coating of the wood, and so destroy the effect sought for. In ordinary households, twice a year is often enough to oil a good floor. The floor should be of hard wood, made quite smooth, as directed in a preceding paragraph, and thoroughly washed and dried. Use boiled linseed-oil, applying it hot, as directed previously, either with stiff brushes or soft rags, and rubbing it well into the grain of the wood. When the floor is made of light-colored wood, a little ground burnt umber or burnt sienna may be mixed with the oil for the purpose of staining it, before applying it to the floor. POLISHING HARD-WOOD FLOORS. To make the polishing mixture, put into a basin or bowl a pound and a half of yellow beeswax, five ounces of resin powdered, and one pint of turpentine. Set the basin in a pan of hot water, and stir the polish over the fire until thoroughly blended. Remember that all these ingredients are highly inflammable, and guard against their taking fire. When the polish is smoothly mixed, cool it; if, when it is cold, it is thicker than cold cream, stir in a little more turpentine until it is of that consistency. See that the hard-wood floor is perfectly clean, dry, and free from dust; then apply the polish to it with a soft woollen cloth, rubbing it well into the grain of the wood; after the polish is applied to the floor, rub it very hard with a polishing-brush, which can be found at the house-furnishing shops. In Europe the final polish, after using the brush thoroughly, is given with a piece of soft green baize. Hard-wood floors require polishing two or three times a week. STAINING WOODEN FLOORS. The floor must first be carefully prepared according to the directions given earlier in this chapter. The stain can be so mixed as to imitate any ordinary wood, the coloring matter being sold at the paint and oil shops. A good brown stain can be made from burnt umber and sienna, the prevailing tint being made to match the tone of the room, and enough coloring-matter being used to properly darken the wood. Mix the color with one pint of turpentine and one quart of raw linseed-oil, and apply it as already directed. The stain should be liquid enough to run readily; the addition of some special dryer will hasten the completion of the process. If a stained floor is sized and varnished, it will keep its color longer than if simply stained. Parts of the floor most used can be re-stained without going over the entire surface. A little raw linseed- oil rubbed into the worn spots renews their brightness. The floor can be dusted frequently, and washed about once a week with a soft cloth wet in warm water. SIZING STAINED FLOORS. After the stain is quite dry on the floor, put a pound of size in a basin with a pint of cold water, and melt it by gentle heat; apply it with a flat brush; if the size froths while it is being put upon the floor, dilute it with a little warm water; let the size dry entirely before applying the varnish. VARNISHING STAINED FLOORS. Use the best varnish; apply it evenly and liberally, with a flat brush, and then let the floor become quite dry before walking upon it. About once a week wipe the varnished floor with a soft cloth dipped in warm water. BLACK VARNISH FOR WOOD. Use enough ivory-black, or prepared liquid black, to color good varnish, and apply a thin coating to the wood. Prepared liquid black can be used to stain or ebonize wood without the addition of varnish when the brilliant black surface face is not desired. Blackened wood is cleaned by dusting and wiping with a cloth wet in warm water. PAINTED FLOORS. For the brilliant yellow color of painted floors, use three pounds of yellow ochre, powdered, to three quarts of soft water, and three ounces of common glue. Dissolve the glue in the water by gentle heat; then take the liquid from the fire, stir in the paint, and apply it at once to a clean dry floor, using a large flat brush. When the paint is dry, put on a thin coat of boiled linseed-oil, and let the floor dry before walking upon it. When a light lemon-color is desired, use white glue, and two pounds of white lead powdered in place of two of the three pounds of ochre. Paint the floor on a clear, bright day. CHAPTER VI. THE DINNER-TABLE AND ITS APPOINTMENTS. THE extentsion-table has already been referred to as desirable, because its size can be suited to the number of guests. Usually this sort of table is comparatively long and narrow, and does not admit of as acceptable decoration as the round or square table. Then, too, at a long table the guests are less favorably placed than at either of the others. A perfectly appointed square table is pictured in the frontispiece, reproduced from the dining-room of a Euclid-avenue house in Cleveland. The first glance will show its admirable arrangement. The space included in the area of the apartment and the table permits the placing of six, eight, or ten guests, the ideal numbers for enjoyable dinners, the less number giving variety enough to obviate sameness, and the greater not being too large for perfect sociability. The breadth of the table permits the distinguished guests to sit side by side with the host and hostess, and affords room for effective placing of the necessary table appointments, specified in detail a few pages farther on. Delicate napery, flowers enough to add color to the glitter of silver and the sheen of glass, dainty receptacles for salt and pepper, and light candelabra make up a perfectly enticing picture: such surroundings would tempt an anchorite to feast. This table is laid for the American form of service; the various dishes composing the dinner being placed upon the table in their proper succession, as will be hereafter indicated. TABLECLOTHS. In choosing table-linen, it should be remembered that heavy material wears longer than the lighter fabrics, and presents in the draping much more effective lines; it does not rumple or crease so readily as sheer material; it needs but little starch when it is done up, and is therefore more pleasant for the user. After a certain point, the price of heavy fabrics is not greater than that of fine goods; but if it were, the difference would be warranted to an economical buyer by the relative results. When from personal preference a very fine, light kind of napery is used, there should be a thick under-cloth: indeed, the under-cloth is always desirable for the protection of the table, as well as for the improvement in the appearance of the cloth; heavy canton flannel makes the best under-cloths. The tablecloth proper should be of wash-material. If the table is large, the cloth may be made in several sections, for convenience in changing it during the dinner, and in washing it. A very effective and inexpensive cloth may be made in this way: Make an openwork centre-piece of any pretty appliquÉ or insertion over some faint shade of wash-satine, following the shape of the table; outside the centre-piece, and reaching from its edges to a point about a quarter of a yard below the edge of the table, have a section of the tablecloth proper; then a wide insertion, another piece of the cloth, and an edge of lace. The border of the cloth upon the laid table in the engraving will give an idea of this arrangement. The use of lace upon table-linen was of early Italian origin, and was introduced into England before Shakspeare's time; so that we are only reviving a pretty fashion in elaborating our table-service. When the effect of brighter color is desired, a strip of plush, velvet, or satin, edged with lace, may be laid the entire length of the table in the centre, over the linen cloth. When it is desirable to increase the light in the dining-room, strips of mirror-glass, with border-glasses for flowers, are used; or their edges are concealed by a thick line of cut flowers. A pretty effect is produced by using large cyrstal bowls filled with cracked ice and ferns, or blocks of ice bedded in moss and ferns; these blocks of ice may be made to hold shell-fish,prawns,crayfish, or dishes of mayonnaise, aspic, melons, or iced puddings. Some provision should be made for the dripping of the ice so that the cloth may not be spoiled. When embroidery is desired, the outline of the woven design of the cloth can be reproduced with gold or silver thread or gold-colored embroidery-silk: these effects are Oriental. Clusters of flowers and fruit in natural colors are embroidered upon heavy momie-cloth or huckabuck, and the cloths are bordered with deep knotted fringe; some of the South Kensington designs for this kind of work are lovely. These cloths, with napkins to match, are suitable for noon breakfasts, luncheons, and high teas. A beautiful design is that of strawberry leaves and fruit, of natural size and color, embroidered with silk floss upon heavy all-linen momie-cloth. Colored table-linen of good quality is always expensive, and the fact that very few colors retain their freshness after repeated washings makes it comparatively undesirable. Fruit-napkins are not too expensive to permit being put aside when they begin to fade. White linen is always in good taste, and color can be given by the use of fancy china, glass, and flowers; besides, white linen can always be fresh, an important consideration because so much of the enjoyment of the repast depends upon this. If the first glance at the table shows a spotless cloth and shining glass and silver, we involuntarily anticipate a good dinner. In households where it is necessary to economize, it would be better to buy plenty of less expensive linen, and spend extra time in doing it up, than to have a scant supply of fine material. Untidy table-linen is as intolerable as it is inexcusable: until the water-courses run dry, and there is no more sunshine and fresh air, there will be no good excuse for soiled tablecloths and napkins. Better a bare wooden table perfectly clean, than a creased and spotted cloth; and we might take a lesson in neatness from the Celestials, and substitute their paper napkins, which are used once and then burned, rather than omit to supply fresh ones at least once a day. This is a point too often neglected in well-to-do households. TABLE-NAPKINS. When there is an abundance of table-linen, different-sized napkins are used at the various meals. Dinner-napkins are the largest, and in quality should be heavy enough to obviate the necessity for using starch; of this the least quantity should be employed in doing up table-linen which will insure smoothness after ironing. At some very English dinners, the napkins are changed when the Roman punch comes on, a small, rather fine one being placed before each guest with the punch; with the game, comes another large one; and with the dessert, a soft finer fabric of medium size. At ordinary dinners, the change of napkins is made when the dessert is served; when the special dessert-napkin is used, it should be a little smaller and finer than the dinner-napkin, which is removed with the second course. The fruit-napkin is laid upon the finger-bowl or on the plate which contains it, a small fancy napkin, or doily, being directly under the bowl; when the finger-bowl is lifted from the dessert-plate, the doily is placed under it on the tablecloth, a little to the left of the dessert-plate. These doilies admit of many fanciful embroideries, outlines, and sketches made with a fine pen and indelible ink. For formal breakfasts, large dinner-napkins and finger-bowls are used; for standing breakfasts, the usual breakfast-napkins, but no finger-bowls. Ordinary breakfast-napkins are smaller than those used for dinner: they may be quite plain, or bear the etched or embroidered initial or monogram of the hostess. For elaborate late breakfasts, the napkin may be richly embroidered to match the tablecloth. Luncheon-napkins are intermediate in size between those used for breakfast and dinner: otherwise they resemble breakfast-napkins. For the various teas and kettle-drums, small fancy napkins are used. Embroidery, etching, and fringes are quite in good taste. The tray-cloths should match the napkins. Japanese paper napkins may be used for out-door refreshments where there would be danger of losing or spoiling good linen; but they are never so acceptable. All napkins should be simply folded at private tables, one of the corners being lifted to cover the dinner bread; but care should be taken not to conceal the bread, lest the guest, taking up the napkin inadvertently, should throw the bread upon the floor. When the dinner is in progress, the napkin lies upon the knees, or is used with one hand; after the napkin has been used, it is to be laid upon the table loosely, unless at the family table one is expected to place it in a napkin-ring. The use of the napkin by table-attendants calls for a few words. A perfectly clean large napkin should be carried upon the left arm; and in passing dishes the attendant should cover the hand holding the dish with the napkin in such a way as to conceal the hand. When white gloves are worn by the attendants, the napkin is ready in case of accident. In pouring iced wines, a special napkin is required for each bottle; in pouring the other wines, unless the attendant's hand is gloved, it should be entirely concealed by the napkin. There should always be an extra supply of clean napkins upon the side-table, to replace one when needed at the table, or to use in case of accident. If a guest should drop a napkin while at table, no effort should be made to recover it until a sign can be made to the attendant to restore it. If it falls under the table, no attempt should be made to reach it, lest one's neighbor at table be inconvenienced. At the dessert, the dessert or fruit napkin is used, if they are placed, and the large white napkin is employed only to dry the tips of the fingers after they have been dipped in the finger-bowls; otherwise the large napkin continues in use to the end of the dinner. WASHING TABLE-LINEN. A few words may be in place concerning the washing of table-linen. When it falls with the work of the table-girls, there is often trouble in the kitchen and laundry, especially about the boiling and the use of the tubs, when there is a large family to be cooked and washed for. The table-linen need not be boiled often; and its washing can be greatly facilitated by soaking it for a hour or longer, before the first washing, in lukewarm water in which powdered borax has been dissolved, using half a cupful of powdered borax to a large tubful of water; then wash the linen with very little good hard soap, rinse it in plenty of water till the water looks clear, and hang it out to dry at once. Table-linen requires very little starch, and not any when it is heavy. The ordinary stains upon table-linen yield to warm soapy water. Salt should be thrown upon claret-stains directly they are made, and they should be washed out in clear water when the meal is over. Iron-rust can generally be extracted by using lemon and salt, and then rinsing the cloth. Fruit -stains can be effaced by using a tablespoonful of chloride of lime and a teaspoonful of lemon-juice or vinegar in a quart of cold water; as soon as the stain is washed out, rinse the linen thoroughly in plenty of clean water. Mildew on linen can be removed by soaking it in the solution of lime and lemon-juice, and then rinsing it frequently; if the mildew is obstinate, mix enough powdered starch into soft soap to nearly thicken it, add to it some salt and lemon-juice, cover both sides of the cloth with it, and expose it to the sun, letting it lie upon the grass, and renewing the paste until the stain disappears. Iron table-linen single until quite dry, with a hot iron made smooth by rubbing it upon fine sand and then on a waxed cloth; when starch is used, a little salt or wax, dissolved in it, prevents the sticking of the iron. Iron napkins in square folds; fold tablecloths by the thread, or roll them upon a round stick, as long as the cloth is wide, as soon as they are ironed. SILVER AND CUTLERY. The use of silver, or silver-plated ware, is so general that most housekeepers have their favorite methods of cleaning and preserving it from defacement; but a few points may be useful to the inexperienced. Careful housewives may take a hint from dealers, and keep their silver, when it is not in use, wrapped in soft tissue-paper, and closed from the air in its original cases, or in paper boxes; this will largely obviate the necessity for the frequent cleaning which injures plated ware quite as much as use. The powders generally sold for polishing silver are composed of minute organizations of silicious nature, which produce a polish by covering the surface of the metal with innumerable imperceptible scratches, thus destroying some of the silver. If powder is considered necessary for cleaning silver, it should be almost impalpable, so fine as to pass through delicate muslin, like precipitated chalk or jeweller's rouge. Add three ounces of the chalk, and two ounces of liquid ammonia, to one quart of soft water, and, after thoroughly shaking these ingredients together, wet a soft cloth with the mixture, rub it over the silver, and then polish it with a piece of soft chamois. If silver is habitually washed with hot water in which soap and a very little washing-soda is dissolved , it will not often require any other cleaning; the silver should be wiped dry with a soft cloth, and then gently rubbed and polished with clean chamois-skin. When the chamois is soiled, it can be washed as follows: Dissolve in warm water enough soap to make a thick lather; in this wash the chamois, rubbing it between the hands or on a wash-board; put more soap upon stained parts, and continue the rubbing until the chamois is clean; then rinse it through two or three waters, lukewarm, squeeze out the water, and hang it upon a clothes-line, in the sun, without wringing it; as it dries, take it down, and shake it with a sharp, snapping noise, then pull it straight out, and again hang it up; repeat the shaking and pulling until the skin is quite dry and soft. Chamois- skin which is used for filtering should be washed carefully as follows: Make a very weak solution of washing-soda, borax , or any alkali, with warm water; wash the chamois in it without soap, and then rinse it through several cold waters; every time the chamois is used, wash it in this way, and dry and stretch it as directed above. The use of steel knives as part of the dinner-equipage is regaining favor in this country. For a long time silver-plated blades maintained the supremacy; but now the sharp steel blade, set in an ivory or fancy wood handle, is found upon the best-laid tables. For the white ivory and bone handles, the best polishing-agent is finely powdered chalk. Mother-of-pearl is brightened by washing it in salted water, with subsequent hard rubbing with dry chamois- skin; fruit -stains on the handles can be carefully scraped off, and the places polished. The steel blades of table-knives can be cleaned and sharpened at the same time by rubbing them carefully upon a board covered with emery -cloth, or by using emery -powder as bath-brick is used. The latter is the agent most generally known for cleaning steel knife-blades. It should be finely powdered and sifted to insure uniformity, and then applied either with a cloth or a cork, dipped in cold water, or with a piece of raw potato; before the knife is scoured, it should be washed clean, and then after scouring the blade can be wiped free from dust on a soft, clean cloth. Of the use of the knife at table, there can be but little diversity of opinion among people of refinement in this country. The fork is used whenever it is possible to separate food with it, the knife being called into use only when it is required for cutting, but never to convey food to the mouth. As a matter of convenience, the knife-blade does not contain food to be lifted from the plate to the mouth as well as the three- or four-pronged fork: its use was fostered by the old-fashioned two-pronged steel fork, which is not often seen now. The fork is held in the left hand when it is used with the knife for cutting; otherwise it is held in the right. Apart from the general disuse of the knife in eating, its approach to the mouth is really a source of discomfort to a nervous or sensitive person; if only for that reason, the practice of using it ought to be abandoned. When the knife is not in actual use, it should be laid upon the upper right-hand side of the plate. When the fork is put down momentarily, it may be laid across the plate from either the right or the left, or crossed upon the knife. When both have been used finally, they should be laid diagonally across the plate, with both handles toward the right hand: this is understood by well-trained waiters to be the signal for removing them, together with the plate. The question sometimes arises, of the proper disposition to make of them in case the plate is passed to the end of the table for a second supply of meat. When the dinner is served in several courses, it is not customary to ask for the second quantity, because the appetite is satisfied by the variety served; but if from preference more is wanted, or at plain dinners, where only one or two meats appear, the plate is to be passed, the knife and fork may be laid upon the cloth if they are not in a condition to soil it, or both may be held in the right hand over the cloth. When the small plate for bread and butter is employed, as indicated in the description of the laying of the table, the knife and fork may be placed upon that until the large plate is returned. When the meal is served in several courses, knives and forks are either laid with the service of each course, or as many as will be required are placed when the cover is first laid,--with the exception of the small two-pronged silver or nickel fork for raw oysters and clams, which is laid upon the plate containing them; and the silver fruit knife and fork, which are placed upon the dessert-plate, beside the finger-bowl, and then laid upon the table by the guest. As has already been said, when there is not an abundance of silver, arrangements should be made near the dining-room for washing it quickly in hot water containing a very little washing-soda, for the purpose of removing the taste and odor of food. Fine steel knives should never be exposed to intense heat; because it destroys their temper, and thus impairs their cutting qualities. Good carving-knives should not be used for cutting bread, or in the kitchen: they should be cleaned so carefully as not to turn their edges, and always kept sharp by the use of a fine whetstone; a carving-steel more often injures than aids a carving-knife unless the person sharpening the knife has watched a butcher using a steel. A medium-size French cook-knife, of Sabatier's manufacture, makes an excellent carver, because the blade is thin and flexible, and made of good steel. There should always be in the kitchen good knives for cutting bread, meat, and vegetables; and a special knife for using about the stove. The best knife for this purpose is a medium-size artist's palette-knife of steel, with a wooden handle; the blade is flexible and broad, admirably adapted for turning small cakes, potatoes , and omelettes, and wholly unlikely to be injured by the heat because it has no cutting edge. CHINA AND GLASS. When there need be no limit but taste and fancy in the furnishing of a table, beautiful effects can be produced with china and glass. When it is necessary to economize, only plain white china, and glass free from any set ornamentation, should be bought; because it is far easier and cheaper to replace plain ware if any is broken. Generally both decorated china and ornamental glass are sold in sets, and dealers are unwilling to supply any single piece; besides, the plain ware is less expensive originally than that profusely ornamented, and it combines well with odd bits of colored china and glass and bright flowers, and is always in good taste. Cut glass is always expensive, and easily broken. If exposed to sudden changes in temperature, it will crack by the force of contraction or expansion; for instance, if fragile glass is put into hot water in frosty weather, it will often break. Glass should for this reason always be washed in tepid or cool water, using the hand to remove spots; it may then be set in a rack to dry, and afterwards be polished with clean, soft chamois, or cloth free from lint. The deep indentations in fine cut glass can be polished by using a soft brush dipped in a little powdered chalk or whiting. Some of the finer kinds of glass-ware are annealed, or seasoned to bear heat, in the process of manufacture, and are therefore less likely to break than the cheaper sorts which have not undergone this operation. A somewhat similar process may be followed, which results in increasing the durability of the glass and china submitted to it. Put the articles which require to be seasoned in a large pan full of cold water; place the pan over a gentle fire, and slowly heat the water until it begins to boil; then remove the pan to the coldest part of the stove, and let the heat decrease gradually until the water is quite cold. The articles thus tempered can then be wiped and made ready for use. After this first heating process, neither china nor crockery should be allowed to become very hot, either in using it at table or in washing it, because its glaze will be gradually seamed with cracks. Once this enamel is cracked, both water and grease will penetrate the china, and it will even gradually absorb flavors from food: the cracking of the glaze also renders the china more liable to break. If in washing glass and china a wooden bowl or tub is used, there is comparatively little of the danger of chipping or breaking it which attends the use of a metal utensil. When decorated china is selected, nice discrimination is required. Unless a bizarre effect is sought, the pattern should show unity and delicacy: all grotesque ornamentation should be avoided, as also should glaring contrasts of color and a profusion of gilding. Gilded china always wears unequally; when not in actual use, it should be kept in a dry, dark closet, wrapped in soft paper; dampness tarnishes the gilt, and rubbing or scratching obliterates it. When gilt china is very much tarnished, the outer film may be removed by rubbing it very lightly and evenly with a piece of soft chamois dipped in jeweller's rouge, or in finely powdered chalk which has been sifted through thin silk. When gilt china is washed, the water should be lukewarm, and contain a little borax or soda : the china should be well drained, and then very lightly wiped with a soft cloth. All richly decorated fine china requires the same careful treatment. The finest Oriental china is of delicate even colors, without a line of decoration or a shade of contrast, but the effect is indescribably beautiful. In modern china, the most beautiful effects are in soft flower and sea-shell tints; except in a few sorts, such as Royal Worcester, where superb contrasts of color and gilt are made. For high teas and kettle-drums, the grotesque harlequin sets are sometimes used. After all, the choice of china is entirely a matter of individual taste. CHAPTER VII. LAYING AND SERVING THE TABLE. THE relative convenience of different-shaped tables has been referred to. Decidedly, the square and round tables are the most desirable; because, placed in a circle or nearly facing the host, no guest is given precedence except those who occupy the seats of honor at the right hand of the host and hostess respectively. If the shape of the room will not admit of the use of a round or square table, a good effect may be produced by placing the host and hostess at opposite sides of the long extension-table, facing each other: this position draws the entire company relatively nearer their entertainers, and those in whose honor the feast is given, and so increases both interest and enjoyment. It has become the custom, in laying a table, to avoid uniformity of decoration in all matters except the massing of a few choice varieties of flowers,--unless a "pink dinner," or some such entertainment, is being given, when the purpose is to emphasize some special color; then the china, glass, flowers, lamp or candle shades, and even the ladies' costumes, take on the prevailing tone of color. Details of these effects are given elsewhere in the book. Of course the laying of all the covers must be uniform; and it is agreed that the service of a dinner is facilitated, and the general effect heightened, when more than one set of silver and cutlery is laid at first. There are so many dainty forms of such table-service, that a well-laid cover becomes a beautiful picture, especially when the table is large enough to admit of the proper placing of the various aids to the guests' comfort and convenience. Whatever form of service is chosen for the dinner, the articles used in good houses, in laying each cover, consist of the napkin, a dinner roll or a thick, small cut of fresh bread, the necessary cutlery and silver, the water-tumbler, and glasses for the different wines when wine is served, and, at convenient intervals, receptacles for the condiments, and iced water or ice. Individual salt -cellars are in vogue, but several larger silver or cut-glass ones may be placed upon the table, as well as some unique and pretty pepper - casters of metal or china. The salad-oil and vinegar are in double cruet-stands upon the table, or on the sideboard ready to be placed upon the table when the salad is served. The table-sauces are put on the side-board until required, being left in their original bottles. The large table-caster is a thing of the past, and is banished even from the sideboard unless it is really an ornamental piece. Individual water -bottles, with tumblers to cover them, are much favored, because of their convenience to this water-drinking nation. Dishes of broken ice are permissible at small dinners. The water -bottles may be filled with ice and frozen without much trouble, according to directions given later on. Some caterers make a specialty of supplying these frozen carafes. The number of wine -glasses is, of course, regulated by the variety of wines to be served: this point will be amplified later. Extra knives, forks, and spoons are upon the sideboard, ready to be placed by the attendants, between the courses: the oyster-fork is upon the plate with the shellfish, or is laid when they are served. When butter is served, as it often is in this country, a small plate and a special knife are placed for it. A nice idea for family dinners, or luncheons, is to use a small plate, about the size of a saucer, upon which the butter can be placed, together with the bread, and the salt when large salt-cellars are used. The teaspoons are upon the sideboard, to be placed upon the table when required. Small spoons are needed when coffee is served in the little cups used after dinner for black coffee, or cafè noir. When there is not an abundance of silver, there should be, in a room adjoining the dining-room, all the conveniences for quickly washing and drying it; i.e., hot water, soap, and soft towels; a small piece of washing-soda dissolved in the hot water will thoroughly cleanse the silver from any odor or taste of food. Uniform color has been indicated for the general table equipage; but if the table is large enough to admit of more than one group of flowers, or colored china, they should differ far enough to produce a contrast; and a change, however slight, should be made at every repast. At all seasons, flowers make a charming variation in the appearance of even the most simply laid table; and variety at the table is a great charm, quite as necessary to the enjoyment of the repast as is a good choice of dishes. Especially in the spring and early summer, the appetite is so capricious that it can be affected by such trifles of service as light and color. The perfect hostess will not despise even trifles, where the enjoyment of her guests is concerned. The lighting of a dinner-table is of importance. The pleasantest light falls from candles or lamps, which should be so placed as not to incommode the diners. Lamps are sometimes suspended over the table, as are gas-fixtures. Side lights are apt to cross the light so that it is unpleasant: if they are used, they should be shaded. When it is desirable to give a prevailing tone of color, the lights and their globes or shades will be found most effective auxiliaries: details of these possibilities are given in the chapter on dining-room fittings. The frontispiece represents the general effect of a well-laid table, and the detail of a cover is given on p. 106: if the directions are carefully studied, there will be no difficulty in carrying them out with the aid of the picture. We have in these two pictures the table laid for the service of a dinner in the American style, which admits of great beauty of ornamentation, and does not involve those tiresome and troublesome changes of the entire table-equipage according to the formal English method, where the cloth is changed with each course. The table-cloth for all dinners should be white, and without perceptible folds or creases. It is not always easy to accomplish this triumph of laundry-work in small establishments; but it is possible if the cloth is carefully ironed, and rolled at once upon a long, round piece of wood, like a curtain-roller. As has been already said, the pretty fashion prevails of laying a strip of bright-colored plush or satin down the middle of the table, with a vine of smilax or ivy along the edges; as a variation, a strip of wide, very open lace, of a definite pattern, laid over a piece of satin, silk, or cambric, is sometimes employed. In arranging the table decorations upon and near this bit of color, due regard to harmony must be observed. The table-napkins should match the pattern of the cloth, and be large and square: they should be folded, and so placed that the guest will not be exposed to any awkwardness in using them: for instance, if a roll or piece of bread is hidden in one, it may be thrown upon the floor by a careless movement; the dinner bread is best placed at the front or side of the plate, laid upon the napkin, but not concealed by it. After the ornamental centre of the table has been planned (care being taken that it shall not be high enough to obstruct the view of the entire table), and the various dishes placed for condiments, relishes, and such small dishes as the chosen service permits,--the flowers being kept fresh until just before Detail of Covers laid at Table. An Illustration of a table decorated fancy with wine glasses and flower arrangements on top of it. the dinner is served,--each guest's place or cover is laid as follows: upon the left, a soup-spoon and two silver forks, one large; in the centre, the dinner-plate, upon which the plate of oysters or clams is to be set just before serving the dinner, or, if there is to be no shellfish, the napkin may be put here with the dinner bread; when the shellfish is served, the bread and napkin may be laid just above the spoon and forks, together with the salt -cellar and water-tumbler, or the small carafe with the tumbler reversed upon it; at the right of the cover, a steel knife with a pearl or ivory handle, for meats, and a silver dinner-knife of medium size; sometimes a smaller knife with a silver blade and some fanciful handle is placed to be used for cheese, salad, or butter when it is served, as it generally is upon American tables. The disuse of butter at dinner is to be traced to those countries where it is less plentiful than in America, and it is such a useful article of food that it is to be hoped the fashion in question will not generally prevail. When wine is served, the glasses may be symmetrically arranged at the upper right of the cover. When all the dinner-wines are used, it is well to have some of the more fragile glasses remain upon the sideboard until they are needed, placing at first upon the table a hock-glass for the white wine, a small wine -glass for the sherry, and claret and champagne glasses; this is the number of glasses placed in the picture, in addition to a goblet for iced water. The glasses should be about four inches from the edge of the table. The glasses for port, Madeira, Burgundy, and the liqueurs should be upon the sideboard, together with extra glasses of all kinds to replace any accidentally overturned or broken. Also, upon the sideboard or table, there should be plenty of fresh napkins, plates, and silver, the finger-bowls and dishes which are to be used during the dessert, the cups and saucers for coffee, sugar, cigars or cigarettes when there are gentlemen present, and the wines and liqueurs which are not iced. Before placing the dessert, crumbs can be best removed by using a large silver knife; it is better than a brush, which only scatters the crumbs about the cloth and over the floor. In some houses, the old custom still prevails of removing the cloth before the dessert is served, so as to place it upon the polished mahogany table: this implies ample attendance. The table must be bright enough to reflect every glint of light which falls on it; then, in the removal of the cloth, it must be rolled or folded from one end of the table to the other by a servant on either side of the table, and others must be near to assist them by raising and replacing the table-ornaments, otherwise the process is awkward and tedious. At best, it involves much reaching over the shoulders of the guests, unless they are seated far apart. After the crumbs have been removed, or the cloth changed, the finger-bowls are put upon the table, and the dessert is served. A small colored or embroidered napkin is laid on a dessert-plate, usually of decorated china, and the glass bowl is set upon the napkin. Sometimes a small glass containing a little perfumed water is set in the bowl: at the end of the dinner this glass is raised to the lips to refresh them, and the fingers are dipped into the bowl. The dinner-napkin is used for drying the hands, and is then laid without folding at the side of the plate. Unless at very informal family dinners, fresh napkins are always laid. The embroidered napkins under the bowls are to be placed under them on the table-cloth, when the plate is required for the dessert. If the dessert-napkins are colored and of wash material, they are to be used if fruit is served; otherwise the dinner-napkin remains in use. Upon the plate, by the side of the finger-bowl, the dessert silver is laid, a fruit -knife and teaspoon, and a silver fork if the dessert includes any juicy large fruit such as pears or pine-apple. The guest lays this silver upon the table, and places the bowl, with the doily under it, within easy reach. If there is a fruit -napkin, it is laid ready for use; and, unless a fresh white napkin is served, the dinner-napkin remains upon the knees until the end of the dinner: when the white dessert-napkin is laid, the dinner-napkin is to be taken away before the service of the dessert. Other details in regard to the napkin are given where the table-linen is discussed. When the frozen carafes or water -bottles are to be prepared at home, the following method will be found easy and satisfactory. Unless small carafes for individual use are desired, the ordinary glass ones will answer: the use of cut or pressed glass bottles is attended with the danger of breaking during the freezing. Smooth carafes are best, holding about a quart: they are filled with fresh water to the bottom of the neck, and set in a wooden tub containing enough freezing-mixture to reach two-thirds up the sides. The freezing-mixture is composed of three parts of pounded ice to one of salt. The carafes are covered first with a clean cloth, and then with a heavy blanket, and allowed to remain undisturbed until the water is frozen. If they are left over night, as they sometimes are in summer, sufficient drainage must be insured to prevent the entrance of the melted freezing mixture to the carafes. CHAPTER VIII. FLOWERS, BILLS OF FARE, AND WINES. FLOWERS AT TABLE. FLOWERS will probably always hold favor as table decorations, because of their beauty and freshness; but the use of large and elaborate flower-stands, or high ornamental figures of sweetmeats and confectionery, Épergnes, or plate, should be deprecated. They obstruct the intercourse of the guests, which to be enjoyable must be unconstrained. In summer, a very effective centre-piece for the table may be formed by wreathing a block of ice with smilax, ivy, or ferns; of course, care must be taken to insure perfect drainage, or a sufficiently large receptacle to hold the water must be placed under the ice, otherwise the tablecloth will be soiled. The size and shape of the table will decide the degree of ornamentation admissible. A round table might be arranged somewhat after the following fashion, using only flowers for decoration. In the service à la Russe, the small dessert-dishes and the relishes would be interspersed. A fine cloth being laid, the centre of the table would be filled with either a block of ice wreathed in vines or leaves, or a stand of dwarf foliage-plants, or a circular bed of flowers of some pronounced color, usually of one variety; next, in the outer circle, contrasting flowers, or small dessert-dishes and relishes harmoniously arranged so far as color and form are concerned; and at the edge of the table, the service of covers. In this plan no calculation is made for placing on the table the different dishes composing the dinner; when the service involves this, space should be left for the dishes, large enough to allow a margin of the cloth to show between the centre decoration and the dishes served. When flowers are not in season, a centre may be made of a china figure supporting an open dish for fruits; other fruits and nuts may be dispersed in low dishes around the centre-piece, and beyond them the small relishes, varied with a few flowers or even leaves. For a long table, when flowers are not abundant, the strip of colored plush or satin is very effective: it should be bordered with ivy, moss, or any trailing vine; smilax, blackberry -vines, woodbine, and honeysuckle are admirable for this purpose. When only moss or leaves are used, a few bright flowers or berries, placed at intervals, heighten the brilliancy of the effect. One of the loveliest of long-table decorations is a profusely flowering vine of honeysuckle, laid the entire length of the table. Another beautiful centre is an oval mass of fruit and leaves, placed low upon the table, the middle of the mound being slightly elevated. An exquisite summer centre-piece is a block of ice, wreathed in ferns, with an outer circle of water-lilies and their leaves and curling stems. But flowers of pronounced odors are sometimes objectionable. Low dishes filled with violets and pansies are most beautiful when arranged on a white cloth. A low Épergne, or a china figure supporting a basket, either to be filled with fruit, and set in a broad circle of pansies, is very beautiful: flat dishes containing the sweets may be sunk among the flowers. Nasturtium -vines, with the leaves and flowers, are bright and effective. Of course the queen of all table-flowers is the rose, and the variety is innumerable. In flower-decoration, there should be one predominating color. In summer each gentleman is supplied with a boutonnière, and each lady with a corsage-bouquet. The bouquets are tied with ribbons of contrasting colors, and a large pin is stuck into the cloth for the purpose of fastening the flowers to the dress. At elaborate entertainments, when it is desired to present the ladies with some souvenir, bouquet clasp-pins may be substituted for the ordinary large pin, or the large pin may be made of gold or silver. Very pretty silver pins can be bought for from fifty cents to one dollar, and more fanciful ones and bouquet-pins for from one dollar upwards, according to their style of ornamentation. MENUS, OR BILLS OF FARE. In the choice of menu -cards, much taste may be displayed. Extreme ornamentation should be avoided, and the names of the dishes written legibly with ink, either in the centre of the ornamentation, when space is left there, or upon the plain side of the card. When small cards are used, one should be laid at each place: this is desirable when the number of guests is large, for then on the reverse of the card can be written the name of the guest who is to occupy the seat. When large menu -cards are used, one answers for four or five guests. The large cards are more elaborate, and are often framed flat, or set on low ornamental easels. The names of the different wines are to be placed opposite the dishes with which they are to be served. The cook and head waiter should both have a copy of the bill of fare, so that they may know when to serve the various dishes composing the dinner. The ability to compose a bill of fare judiciously implies taste and discrimination. The fact should always be remembered, that a heavy soup will so far cloy the appetite as to render one indifferent to the rest of the dinner, while a clear soup refreshes and prepares one for the enjoyment of the succeeding solids. The fish and entrÉes should not be substantial enough to satisfy hunger entirely: the relishes will then stimulate the appetite for the heavier dishes. The service of Roman punch before the roast refreshes the palate, and prepares the more perfect enjoyment of the succeeding dishes: it is as necessary to the service of a good dinner as cheese is with the plain salad. When olives are on the table, they go well with entrÉes of game; French chestnuts are excellent with poultry; and almonds, blanched and roasted with salt, are enjoyable with Madeira or sherry before the sweet entremets. Only a plain vegetable salad should accompany the roast or game, and a bit of any old cheese may be passed with the salad. Cheese straws or cheese crusts may be served with the salad. Although the cheese belongs with the salad, it enters into some delicate dishes, such as fondus and soufflÉs, which may come to the table either after the oysters or soup, as relishes, or before the large sweets at dessert, previous to the service of the nuts and fruit. Then comes the dessert, placed as already indicated. If the dinner is small, it is perfectly permissible for the hostess to make the coffee at the table, or it may be served in the drawing-room later. Even with the best-chosen menu, the success of a dinner depends on the skill of the cook. A good cook appreciates the value of sauces, and will give much care to their preparation, and, above all, will endeavor to preserve the natural flavors of the different dishes. All mingling of flavors is objectionable, except in sauces and salads. The details of the bill of fare are as follows:-- THE SHELLFISH ( Huîtres ) includes small raw oysters, and Little Neck or hard-shell clams, on the half-shell; at the same time, brown bread cut very thin and buttered, and cut lemons, salt, cayenne, and sharp table-sauces are placed upon the table. THE SOUP ( Potage ) is varied according to the character of the dinner. If it is choice, no matter how small it is, there are always two soups; one a perfectly clear soup, or consommÉ, and the other a rich, thick one, such as a bisque or cream. A thick cut of bread, or a roll with crisp crust, is placed upon the napkin when the cover is laid, to be used after the shellfish. THE FISH ( Poisson ) may be of any large kind, boiled and served with a good sauce and plain boiled potatoes . If the dinner is large or elaborate, there should be two kinds of fish, one boiled, and the other baked and served with a garnish, or small fish with a sauce and garnish, and some special dish of potatoes , such as Parisienne or Hollandaise. If shellfish is used here, the dish should be large and hot. THE RELISHES ( Hors-d'œuvre ), which are placed upon the table in the American dinner and the service à la Russe, include all kinds of table-sauces and catsups, salted almonds, pickles, olives, caviare, vinaigrettes, small cold entrÉes such as bouchÉes and pâtè-de-foie-gras, pickled fish and small tongues, and individual escalops. THE REMOVES (or RelevÉs ) consist of boiled, baked, and braised meats, poultry, and large game, large veal, ham, game, and fish pies, and large cold joints, such as tongue and ham, generally served with a garnish of vegetables; the remove at a small dinner may consist of an elaborately dressed cold fish, if the regular fish service has been omitted. THE SIDE-DISHES ( EntrÉes ) are the small hot meats garnished, such as cutlets, chops breaded or larded, steaks with sauces garnished, small meats and poultry larded, sweet-breads garnished, fricandeaux, fricassÉes, ragoûts, escalopes, all hot; hot raised pies, pâtÉs, and rissoles, combination salads of vegetables, salads with mayonnaise, such as chicken and lobster; in brief, any dish in size less than a joint or a roast. ROMAN PUNCH ( Sorbet ).--There are many delicious ices served under the general name of Roman punch, all having a combination of frozen fruit-sherbet and some fine liqueur, cordial, wine, or spirit; served in the midst of the dinner, when the palate needs the sense of refreshment they give, they prepare it for renewed enjoyment, and render it capable of appreciating the intense flavor of the roast and the bouquet of the Burgundy or champagne, that follow them. THE ROAST ( Rôte ).--For family dinners, the roast may be a joint of any meat preferred; but for special occasions it should be of venison, larded hare, or some large game-bird. If wild duck is served, there should be more than one, because only the breast is carved; when canvas-backs are used, half a breast cut in one piece is served to each guest. Smaller birds, either roasted or broiled, may be served in this course. All game should be underdone. A garnish of watercress or celery is used with birds, and always currant-jelly and special sauces with venison and hare. SALAD ( Salade ).--A green salad is the proper accompaniment of the roast; it may be of watercress, lettuce, celery, chiccory, escarole, burnet, nasturtium (leaves, fruit, and flowers), corn-salad , dandelion, tarragon, fennel, mint, young onions, and any of the green sweet herbs : the five first-named varieties are the most generally used. Sometimes tomatoes and cucumbers are served here; but they more properly belong, the cucumbers with the fish, and the tomatoes with a mayonnaise among the entrÉes. The best dressing for a green salad is of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper : a salad with mayonnaise belongs among the entrÉes, as do the salads of cold cooked vegetables. A little old, rich cheese may be served with the green salad if desired. SECOND-COURSE SIDE-DISHES ( Entremets ).--After the roast and its accompanying green salad, it is customary to serve hot vegetables dressed with sauces, hot meat, fish, or game pies, croquettes and fritters with sauces, eggs in elaborate form with sauces, large cold side-dishes; and the second-course sweets such as croquettes, charlottes, croquantes, timbales, cold puddings in moulds, hot puddings with sauces, pastries, moulded jellies and creams, meringues, soufflÉs, and macedoines. DESSERT ( Des'sert ).--The dessert consists of the small cold sweets, such as Éclairs, fancy cakes, nougats, confectionery, candied fruits, nuts, individual moulded jellies, ices, and creams, glacÉs and cafÉ noir. When it is divided in two parts, the dishes called glacÉs are served first; these include every sweet which can be crystallized, frozen or iced: after them comes the dessert proper, composed of candied and dry preserved fruits, nuts, bonbons, and little fancy cakes, or petit-fours, and the cheese and coffee. THE SERVICE OF DISHES. After the dinner-table is properly arranged in accordance with any chosen style, the service of the dinner becomes the matter of importance. Unless the various dishes are acceptably presented, the finest cookery loses its value; and if the attendants do not know how to carry out the details of the service deftly and quietly, the comfort of the entire repast is destroyed. If strange waiters are brought into the house for any special occasion, they should be made perfectly conversant with all the resources and facilities of the establishment. There should be a clear understanding as to just what is to be done by the servants in the kitchen, and those in the dining-room; and, if possible, matters should be so planned that the waiters do not have to leave the room. All the dishes, and those parts of the dinner which need not be hot, should be in the dining-room before the meal is served, either upon the dinner-table or upon the side-board or side-table. Then, if the cook or kitchen-maid brings the hot dishes to the door or into an adjoining-room, there need be no unnecessary delay. The oysters or clams on the half-shell are to be kept on the ice until just before the dinner is announced; they are then to be arranged on appropriate plates, and set at each cover, the oyster-plate being placed on a large dinner-plate, which is to be removed with it when the hot plate is placed for the fish. A bit of lemon is to be put in the centre of the oyster-plate , six half-shells being served on each plate (except in California, where one can consume at least a dozen of the small delicious native bivalves); the small oyster -fork is laid either upon the plate, or beside it on the table. After the shellfish are eaten, the guest leaves the fork upon the plate so that it can be removed with it. Plates of brown bread, cut very thin and buttered, are placed upon the table with the shellfish, and removed with them. If this bread is intended for use with the salad, it should be served in one compartment of a fancy basket or dish; the other divisions containing biscuit, crackers, old cheese, olives, and small relishes. Butter intended to be used with the bread and salad should be made up in small fancy pats or balls and iced. The basket containing these articles should be removed from the table with the salad. All plates are removed, and the various dishes passed, at the guest's left: the wine is poured at the right. Hot plates are served with all the dishes except foie-gras, caviare, salads, and the cold sweets. Great care should be exercised in preparing the dishes in the kitchen, and in bringing them to the table in a perfectly neat condition. The soup should not fill the tureen so far as to endanger spilling. The dishes for fish should be suited in size and shape to the contents. If the fish is boiled, it should be served unbroken, on a napkin laid in the appropriate platter, and garnished with a few sprigs of fresh parsley or slices of lemon, the sauce being served in a sauce-boat : if sauce is served on the dish with the fish, only enough to cover the centre of the dish should be used, and the fish laid on it; the rest is served in a sauce-boat. EntrÉes should be very neatly arranged with the proper garnishes, with sauce enough to surround them, but not to reach to the edge of the dish. Very little gravy, or none at all, should be on the dish with joints, as it is likely to be spilled in carving; and the dish should be deep enough to contain all that may flow from the cut meat. In the service of English and American dinners, the soup, salad, and large sweets are to be placed before the hostess; the fish, meats, and game which require carving, before the host. If two dishes of a kind are served at a large dinner, one is to be put before each. The relishes and small sweets are placed in different parts of the table; and the vegetables are passed by the servants, after the large dishes are served, a spoon and fork being in each dish, so that the guest can easily help himself. When two large dishes are served at once, there is always the possibility that one will be spoiled by waiting until it is required; and, besides, it is then necessary that both hosts should be expert carvers. In the dinner served à la Russe, the carving is all done at the side-table by the servants. Sometimes the dishes are placed on the table a moment, for the approbation of the master or mistress of the house, and then taken away to be carved; but this involves delay. In this form of service, the plates are laid between each course, and the guests help themselves as the waiters pass the dishes after they are carved. In treating of the service of dinners, some general reference has been made to the different methods of placing the dishes upon the table: here the full details will be given of the three forms of service in vogue in this country and abroad,--the English and American, and the service à la Russe which is much favored by caterers. With the English service, much labor falls upon the hosts in the way of carving and serving, but the effect is hospitable in the extreme. In the dinner à la Russe, every care falls upon the servants, but this necessitates a greater number than any other form of service. The American dinner-service is not very trying to the hosts, especially if dishes are chosen which can easily be dispensed: the effect is homelike, and one well-trained servant can attend eight or ten guests. THE ENGLISH DINNER-SERVICE. In serving a dinner according to the approved English method, the table must first be laid with a cotton-flannel or baize cloth, so that the heat of the of the dishes cannot affect its polished mahogany surface; even when an ordinary wood table is used, this cloth gives a good body to those laid over it; the dessert-cloth of delicately tinted damask is next spread; and above that, one or more white cloths, according to the number of courses which are to be served, the cloth being removed after each course is served. The covers are then laid for the first course, including the necessary wine -glasses for the wines to be served during the course; the relishes and condiments for the course are placed; and the flower-decorations, which are generally massive. Several dishes placed upon the table at once constitute a course; the largest before the host and hostess, to be carved by them and put upon plates passed from their left to the left hand of the guests by the waiters. When there is a large staff of servants, the butler, who is in charge of them, makes the first service, and then relegates it to his assistants, and attends to the wines. The soups, salads, and large sweets are set before the hostess; the large dishes of fish, meat, and game, which require carving, are placed before the host; the relishes, vegetables, and small sweets are set upon the table, each with its appropriate course, and passed by the servants after the large dishes are served. When two large dishes are served in the same course, the least difficult is set before the hostess. The chief disadvantage of this form of service is that one of the large dishes is apt to become cold before it is served to the guests; and, besides, it requires that both host and hostess should be expert carvers. As each course is finished, the servants entirely clear the table, remove the cloth, and then arrange the table afresh for the next course, as already described in the chapter on Laying and Serving the Table. Sometimes in a dinner of only two courses, the same white cloth serves until dessert, and then all the cloths are removed, and the dessert proper, of fruit, nuts, and wine, is placed upon the polished mahogany. An English dinner of three courses would be divided somewhat after the following method. FIRST COURSE. Native Oysters on the Half Shell. PUNCH and} Brown bread and butter. MADEIRA.} Thick Turtle Soup. Green Turtle Clear Soup. Turbot with Lobster Sauce. SHERRY. Boiled Salmon, Anchovy Sauce Cucumbers. Boiled Potatoes. HOCK {Lobster Cutlets. Moor Game Pie. and {Filets of Wild Duck, Seville Orange Sauce. BORDEAUX. { Vol-au-Vent of Sweetbreads and Mushrooms. SECOND COURSE Boiled Turkey, Celery Sauce. BURGUNDY. Saddle of Mutton, Currant Jelly. Boiled Sea-Kale. Jerusalem Artichokes with White Sauce. CHAMPAGNE. Roast Ptarmigan and Pheasants. Lettuce Salad. Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce. OLD PORT. Nesselrode and Iced Puddings. THIRD COURSE. DESSERT SHERRY. Fruit Tarts. Noyeau Jelly. Chartreuse of Orange. Ice Cream. Fruit. Nuts. Cheese. Coffee. THE SERVICE OF DINNER à LA RUSSE. This form of service is popular, because the table is made very attractive by the pretty dishes which it permits to be placed there; and, besides, it entails but little care upon the hosts; well-trained servants can easily manage all the details, leaving the hosts free to devote themselves to their guests. In laying the table, one white cloth is placed over a cotton-flannel one, and a low centre-piece of plate, crystal, or fine china, filled with flowers, occupies the middle of the table. Bright-colored dishes containing relishes, olives, small sweets, biscuit, fruit, nuts, and bonbons, are dispersed about the table; dressed salads, jellied fish and meats, if small, may be used, but no hot or greasy dishes are permissible; flowers always form part of the ornamentation, and boutonnières and corsage-bouquets may be laid beside each cover. As the table is not cleared during the dinner, there is a good opportunity for producing beautiful effects. The effects will largely depend upon the prevailing colors, which should be harmonious, and chosen with some reference to the appearance of the dishes which are to be placed upon the table during the progress of the dinner. Many dishes, especially entrÉes, are very ornamental; and others may be included in the dessert. In planning a dinner à la Russe, the hostess can choose dishes that can be carved without disarranging them before they are sent into the dining-room, or at the side-table by the servants, and then passed without any supervision on her part. Some of the dishes illustrated in the chapter on carving will exemplify this idea; other suitable ones will be found among the garnished entrÉes or side-dishes. For more than ten guests, there should be a servant for each side of the table, and the service can be greatly expedited if a third follows the passing of each large dish with its appropriate vegetable. All the dishes should contain a fork and spoon for serving them; and the waiters must either wear white gloves, or cover the thumb, where it touches the rim of the dish, with a clean napkin. The same care must be exercised in laying a plate before a guest. Of course the napkin, gloves, and hands must be scrupulously clean. In this service, a fresh plate containing a knife and fork is laid before each guest as soon as the preceding course is finished: the guest lays the knife and fork upon the tablecloth. The plate of the hostess is changed last at each course. THE DINNER SERVICE AS SHOWN ON MENU CARDS. FRENCH FORM. ENGLISH AND AMERICAN FORM. Huîtres. Small Shellfish, uncooked. Potage. Soup. Poisson. Fish and Large Shellfish, Turtle, and Terrapin. Hors-d'Œuvres. Small Side-dishes, and Relishes, cold. RelevÉs. Removes of Boiled and Braised Meats, etc. EntrÉes. Large Side-dishes, hot and cold. Ponche à la Romaine. Frozen Punch. Rôtis. Meats, Game, and Poultry, roasted and broiled. Salade. Green Salads. Entremets. {Dressed Vegetables. {Sweet Dishes, hot and cold. Dessert. Ices, Jellies, Ice-creams, etc. Candied Fruits, Nuts, Cordials. CafÉ Noir. Black Coffee, Liqueurs. The following is a fair service à la Russe. The names of the dishes are given both in English and in that bill-of-fare French which is the despair of unsophisticated diners-out; but the dishes themselves are admirable, and the selection of wines is worthy the approbation of an epicure. MENU. CHABLIS. Huîtres au citron. POTAGES. AMONTILLADO. Bisque d'Écrevisses. ConsommÉ à la royale. POISSONS. Saumon du Kennebec, sauce Hollandaise. CHâTEAU YQUEM. Pommes Bermude en boulettes. Petites Truites au naturel. Croquettes aux pommes. HORS-D'ŒUVRES. Olives. Caviare en CanapÉs. Petits boudins au Salpicon. Radis. CÉleri. Amandes au Sel. VariÉs. {RELEVÉS. {Filet de Bœuf piquÉ à la Milanaise. {Selle d'Agneau. PONTET CANET. {ENTRÉES. {Poularde à la Toulousaine. {Côtelettes d'Agneau financière. {Concombres farcies à la moëlle. {Beignets de crême à la fleur d'orange. SORBET. Ponche à la Romaine. Ponche au Kirsch. {ROTI. {Dindonneaux truffÉs à la PÉrigueux. {Faisans garnis de bÉcassines. CHAMBERTIN. {Salade de cÉleri en remoulade. {ENTREMETS. {Artichauts, Sauce au beurre. {Asperges en branches, Sauce Hollandaise. DESSERT. Bombe parfait au CafÉ. Nougat de fantaisie. PORTO DORÉ. GelÉe au Madère. Violettes aux bonbons. Fromages. CafÉ et Liqueurs. Champagne frappÉ en carafes sur table ENGLISH BILL OF FARE FOR DINNER à LA RUSSE. Blue Point Oysters with Lemon. SOUPS. Bisque of Prawns. Clear Soup with royale paste. FISH. Kennebec Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce. Mountain Brook Trout. Bermuda Potatoes. Potato Croquettes. RELISHES. Olives. Caviare Toast. Forcemeat Balls. Radishes. Celery. Salted Almonds. Small Pickles. REMOVES. Tenderloin of Beef, larded, Milanaise style. Saddle of Spring Lamb. SIDE DISHES. Pullet, Toulouse Style. Lamb Cutlets with financière garnish. Cucumbers stuffed with Marrow. Orange-flower Cream Fritters. SHERBET. Roman Punch. Kirsch Punch. ROAST. Turkey with Perigord Truffles. Pheasants garnished with Snipe. Salad of Celery with remoulade Sauce. SECOND COURSE. SIDE DISHES. Artichokes with Butter Sauce. Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce. DESSERT. Coffee bombes. Fancy Nougat. Madeira Jelly. Candied Violets. Cheese. Coffee and Liqueurs. Frozen Champagne in carafes. THE AMERICAN DINNER. This form of service combines the advantages of the two already described, and still preserves the genial hospitality implied by the personal service of the guests by the hosts. None of the principal dishes are difficult to serve, and placing them upon the table greatly adds to its pleasant aspect. The vegetables are brought in hot, at the moment of service, when the large dishes have been placed upon the table, and are at once passed by one of the waiters. This partial service by the hosts enables the waiters to serve more rapidly. All the dishes are brought to the dining-room door by the cook or kitchen-maid, so that the waiters need not leave the room; and as all the necessary dishes, silver, wine, and the little dinner accessories, are placed upon the sideboard or in the hot-closet before the dinner is announced, there need be no such vexatious delay as occurs when the attendants are obliged to leave the room in search of something required upon the table. This routine, once understood, can easily be carried out, and prevents all confusion: it suits both plain and fine dinners, and enables one well-trained servant to wait upon a dozen guests with ease. The table is laid as for the dinner à la Russe, with the cotton-flannel and the dinner-cloth, which may be of plain white damask, or as elaborate as the fancy dictates. All the covers, relishes, confectionery, and small sweets are arranged in harmony with the decoration of flowers. The carafes of iced water, the wines which allow of decanting, and the shellfish are placed before the dinner is announced. Directly the guests are seated, the first course of soup and fish, if there is but one service of each, is placed before the host and hostess; when the service includes two soups, or two dishes of any course, one is placed before the host, and the other before the hostess, the latter being given that which is the least difficult to serve. When there is a double service, there must be two servants at least. As each plate is supplied by the host, the servant takes it from the left hand, and carries it to the left of the guest, together with the appropriate vegetable or relish. When wine is used, it is poured from the right hand of the guest, in the intervals of service of the different courses. Directly all the guests are served, and the host has taken a portion from any dish, it is at once removed from the table, and replaced by the succeeding course. As each guest signifies his readiness to have his plate removed,--and he does this by laying the knife and fork side by side across the middle of the plate, with the handles to the right,--the waiter takes it away, and replaces it with a hot plate, and another knife and fork appropriate to the coming service, unless these are already upon the table. The knife and fork are upon the plate, and the guest at once lays them upon the table. As the waiter brings a plate containing a fresh service, he takes the guest's plate back to the host. After a vegetable or hot sauce has been passed, the dish containing it is set upon the sideboard, ready to be taken away. In a dinner of several courses, it is unusual for a guest to ask for any dish a second time; but at a small family dinner the sauces and vegetables may be placed upon the table until the course to which they belong is removed. The plates of the host and hostess are taken away at the conclusion of each course. When the dessert is reached, all the glasses are taken away except the water-tumbler and the glass of the wine which the guest chooses to use during dessert; and the crumbs are removed from the cloth, with a broad-bladed silver knife, to a plate or small salver held in the left hand of the waiter. The knife is better for this purpose than a crumb-brush. The dessert-plate, containing a finger-bowl and dessert knife and fork, is then set before each guest, who at once removes the finger-bowl and its doily, and the knife and fork, to the table; leaving the plate ready for the waiter either to take to the hostess, or for use for the small sweets. Coffee can be served at table or in the drawing-room; and tea an hour after dinner, to the guests who remain, or to others who arrive when an evening at home follows the dinner. The bill of fare following comprises a double service; except in the courses composed of terrapin and canvas-backs, when it would be gastronomic heresy to suggest the choice of any other dish. When either of these dainties is not available, or is not desired, they can be replaced by any chosen entrÉe or roast. A mayonnaise sauce should be upon the table, with the choicest white celery, to use with canvas-back. Directions are given elsewhere for carving ducks, but a few words here will not be out of place. When the abundance of duck permits half the breast to be served to each guest, the matter is simple; but when the supply is limited, the carving becomes a fine art: then several deep cuts should be quickly made on each side of the breast, down to the bone, but no slice removed until all are cut, for a point is made of serving canvas-back very hot; the small bit of flesh called the " oyster " in poultry, which lies in a little hollow of the back-bone, between the leg and the wing, is considered by epicures the most delicious morsel in the entire bird. The use of melon at an early stage of the dinner is of course optional; but either pine-apple iced and without sugar, cantelope, or watermelon is refreshing after a heavy soup or fish; and both the latter make delicious salads, either with plain salad-dressing or with mayonnaise, as also does choice Florida grape fruit. In many of the larger cities the tropical fruit called the alligator pear is sold: it is a favorite salad in the East and West Indies, combined with mayonnaise; and is also eaten with lime-juice or wine and sugar at dessert. BILL OF FARE FOR AMERICAN DINNER. {Blue Points, or Little Neck Clams on the half-shell. SHERRY {Lemon, brown bread and butter. and {Cream of Fresh Mushrooms. Terrapin Clear Soup. MADEIRA. {Cantalope or Pineapple. Broiled Pompano, Cucumber Sauce. CHATEAU YQUEM. Fresh Salmon, Shrimp Sauce. Bermuda Potatoes. Olives. Salted Almonds. Cheese Straws. CLARET. Breast of Spring Chicken with Cauliflower, Hollandaise Sauce. Cold Boned Squabs with Orange Salad. MADEIRA. Maryland Terrapin. Champagne Ice. {Canvas-back Ducks, Forest City Sauce. {Celery. Fried Hominy. CHAMBERTIN. {Lettuce Salad with Roquefort Cheese. {Broiled Fresh Mushrooms. {Asparagus with Mayonnaise. {Cabinet Pudding with Rum Jelly. DESSERT. Cream Meringues. Candied Pineapple. CHAMPAGNE. Philadelphia Ice Cream with Canton Ginger. Nuts. Crystallized Fruits. Cheese. Black Coffee. Cordials. Although the double course is given in all these bills of fare, it is neither imperative nor advisable except for large dinners: a simple, well-chosen menu, of a few favorite dishes, one or two delicate wines when they are desired, or, for a family dinner, cider or some light malt beverage, will often prove more acceptable than an elaborate repast. An excellent little dinner, possible at any season, may be arranged somewhat as follows; several dishes are named for each course, so that the choice may be made of such dishes as the market affords. Wines are named; but, as already indicated, their use is entirely a matter of choice. BILL OF FARE. { Oysters or Clams on the half-shell, very small. { SOUP. { ConsommÉ, Terrapin Clear Soup, Potage à la Reine, or Bisque. CHATEAU{ Cantelope, Watermelon, Pineapple, Grape Fruit, or Oranges. YQUEM,{ FISH. 1858.{ Broiled Spanish Mackerel, Shad, Striped Bass, or Blue-Fish; or, { Boiled Salmon, Sheeps-head, Sea Bass, Turbot, or Trout: { with Bermuda, Hollandaise, Duchesse, Parisienne, { or Irish Potatoes. Cucumbers. RELISHES. Olives. Tunny-fish. Filets of Anchovies or Sardines. Stuffed Olives. Caviare. French Radishes. East India Gherkins. Salted Almonds. Cheese Straws. Pickles. Small Patties or BouchÉes cold, with highly seasoned garnish of fish, poultry, or game. Fine Table-Sauces. Anchovy Butter. Celery. Small Raw Tomatoes. Choice Cheese. { ENTRÉES AND ENTREMETS. { Vol-au-vents of poultry and game, Croquettes, Blanquettes, Scallops, Salmis. { Sweetbreads, broiled, fried, or stewed, with Mushrooms, Peas, Asparagus, or Tomato Sauce. { Chicken, fritôt, broiled, Maryland style, with Mayonnaise , CHATEAU{ filets, and pinions sautÉes. LAROSE,{ 1858.{ Filet of beef, larded, with Mushrooms, Spaghetti, Stuffed Tomatoes, or vegetable garnish. { Lamb Cutlets, breaded, truffled, en papillote, with Peas, Aspara -gus, or Cauliflower. { Any Vegetable, stewed with a sauce. Fritters of Rice, Hominy, and Flour, with sauce. { Sweet Puddings with sauces. Charlottes. Pastry. Jellies. Moulded Creams. { Sorbet. Sherbet. Roman Punch. Champagne glacÉ. ROAST. Any Game or Game Birds roasted, and served with a green salad. { DESSERT. VERZE-{ NAYE{ SEC.{ Ice Creams, with Canton Ginger. Water Ices. Frozen Pud- dings of fruit and fine cake. Ices. Confectionery. Candied fruit. Nuts. Foreign Preserves with- out sirup. Oriental Sweetmeats. Coffee. DINNER WINES. While there is no absolute rule which is invariably followed in the choice of dinner-wines, custom indicates the lightest as most acceptable at the beginning of the dinner; the more stimulating, full-bodied wines are preferable from the relevÉs or removes to the roast; sweet, rich wines like the fine Burgundies and champagnes are suitable for the second course; the liqueurs and cordials are approved with the dessert; and a dash of Cognac for the coffee, or a demi-tasse with the cafÉ noir, end the dinner satisfactorily. Sometimes at small, choice dinners, champagne glacÉ or frappÉ is served throughout; this champagne is frozen in the original bottles, in the same manner as the frozen carafes, for about two hours, or until semi-liquid; it is then poured into wide-mouthed flagons, which can be closed with a glass stopper, and served at once; the half-frozen champagne will retain its consistency in the bottles or flagons for about fifteen or twenty minutes after it is removed from the freezer. As has already been said, the number of wines served depends upon the character of the dinner. At a small dinner, a good Bordeaux wine may be served throughout, flagons of it being placed upon the table slightly chilled; * carafes of water and cracked ice should also be on the table. A more pleasant effect is produced by serving champagne with the roast, the claret flagons remaining on the table. The best succession of wines at a small dinner is a white wine, such as Sauterne, or sherry, as far as the entreÉs; then claret to the roast; and, with and after the roast, iced champagne. As many glasses are placed before each guest as there are wines; and they should be, as Ruskin says, "radiantly clean." Colored glasses are used for white and Rhine wines. Guests who take no wine may either turn down the glasses, or by a sign forbid the attendant filling them; when the wine is poured but not drank, the fact is very conspicuous. The wines are poured from the right hand of the guest, the glasses not being quite filled: the servant mentions the name of each wine before he pours it, so that the guest may decline it if he wishes to do so. At a family dinner, ale may be served with crackers and cheese. At an elaborate dinner, a good succession of wines is as follows: upon the table, decanters of chilled sherry and Madeira, one of each being near enough to the host to permit him to pass them; a good Bordeaux or claret in flagons, the wine having been slightly chilled * before pouring it from the bottles. All the wines which are iced, and poured from the original bottles, should be held with a napkin. The Burgundies should be about the temperature of the room in winter, and of the outer air in summer; the Sauternes should be slightly cooled, and poured from the original bottles. All the sparkling wines should be in coolers, in the original bottles; a bottle of champagne in a cooler should be on the floor at the right side of the host. With the shellfish a white Burgundy or good Sauterne , such as Chablis or Château Yquem, is most acceptable; the same wines, or sherry, with the soup; if the soup is turtle or terrapin, punch or old Madeira is called for; with the fish, a good Sauterne, Moselle, or hock; when large removes or relevÉs are served, an old Madeira is in place; with the entrÉes the claret comes, and after them the Roman punch or sorbet; if any wine is served here, it should be Burgundy, which may remain during the service of the roast unless it is replaced with champagne iced in coolers; with the large sweets, old port or Madeira is appropriate, and then all the large wine-glasses except the one in use should be removed. A warm wine is required when there are several iced sweets, and with ice-cream Canton ginger is acceptable; with the candied fruit and nuts, the liqueurs and cordials are placed, with small glasses; and brandy is served with black coffee. If any of the dinner-wines re-appear at dessert, fresh glasses are set upon the table with them, and a bottle is always placed near enough to the host for him to pass it. * The chilling of wines is accomplished by keeping them in a cool cellar, or in summer by placing the bottles in freshly drawn water, not ice-water. Chilling is not icing. While an ordinary Bordeaux or table claret is generally preferred by Americans slightly chilled, epicures are inclined to treat their choice clarets like Burgundy; in cold weather the wine may remain upon the sideboard in the dining-room until it acquires the temperature of the room; or, if there is not time enough for that, the bottle may be placed for two or three minutes in a pail of lukewarm water; the water must not be hot, only warm enough to develop the aroma of the wine. Some Americans spoil the flavor of claret by putting lumps of ice in the glasses containing it; when it is liked very cold it is best as claret-cup or punch. CHAPTER IX. THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS. THE selection of guests for a dinner should be thoughtfully made. Not only should social obligations and personal preferences be consulted, but also the individual characteristics of the guests; for a disagreeable neighbor can destroy the entire enjoyment of the repast. A dinner is not the affair of a moment: it implies prolonged association. At a luncheon, where the time spent at table is short, at a garden-party, where change of companionship is possible, at a dance, where the favorite partner can be secured at least once, no such nice discrimination is demanded, upon the part of the host, as at the dinner-table, where guests are placed in close proximity for hours. It is true that no introductions need take place, except between guests who are to go down together, when they are not already acquaintances, or where there is on the part of the guests a natural desire for introduction to some distinguished person present; but one takes the fact for granted that every guest at a friend's table is a desirable companion, and every one is at liberty to enter into conversation without a formal introduction. Although such desultory intercourse does not entail subsequent recognition, it is the duty of the host to make sure that the passing intercourse leaves no unwelcome claims upon his guests. Then, too, those persons should be placed together whose conversation is likely to strike upon congenial topics in the intervals of well-served courses. The guests see so little of the hosts, after the first salutation, that they are in a measure bound to replace themselves in the arrangement of their guests. While one would not place a chatterbox without taste beside a man inclined to pay the choice dish of the dinner the tribute of silent appreciation, nothing can be more wearisome than a long, elaborate dinner beside a person without smile or voice. It is true that a gourmand may find consolation in well-cooked dishes, but it is not in every house that these are served. To place a flippant guest beside an earnest one, a commonplace one next a poet, is to intensify the misery of ennui. The dinner-giver does not always invite "minds" to the feast, but the fact that guests have minds should not be forgotten. On the part of the host, a dinner-invitation implies a desire for a certain social intimacy which is not involved in any other form of entertainment. One may give pleasant assurances of social happiness in the formal interchange of calls, or the slightly more personal intercourse of prolonged receptions or of evening affairs: these are agreeable ways of paying one's social debts. But to ask a friend to dinner means friendliness indeed; for this reason, a dinner-invitation should be accepted only from those whose friendship is welcomed. It should always be returned during the social season; that is, before people separate for the summer: if the recipient has not an establishment which admits of giving a dinner in return, a ride or drive in the country, or a good restaurant-dinner or a theatre-party in the city, is considered a social equivalent. There should be no delay in answering a dinner invitation definitely: this gives the hostess an opportunity to fill the guest's place if the hospitality is declined. If the invitation is accepted, punctuality to the hour fixed for the dinner is imperative on the part of the guest. The tact of a lady is to be appreciated, who, after an unforeseen hinderance, reached the house of her entertainers just as the last of the guests were entering the dining-room; she dropped her wraps in the entrance-hall where her escort left his hat, and entered the dining-room with him at once, to the surprise and gratification of her hosts. The immediate acknowledgment of an acceptance to a dinner is, in the city a call within three days after the dinner, unless there is marked intimacy, in which case a longer time may be allowed to elapse; but no circumstance of ordinary consequence should set aside this social form, even among intimate friends, for these little courtesies are the graces of friendship. In the country, where it is not easy to get about, more latitude in point of time is permissible; unless an immediate return of hospitality is contemplated, any reasonable time may elapse before the call of acknowledgment is made. The most enjoyable dinners are those where every one is at ease. Given the fact that the selection of the guests is perfect, their number should not be greater for a private dinner than the hostess can render all requisite courtesies to. Then, too, every care should be taken, previous to the dinner, to insure absolute ease on the part of the hosts. The comfort of guests depends upon equal and perfect service, as much as upon excellent cookery. As has been said already, one well-trained servant can attend to ten or twelve guests with the American dinner or the service à la Russe; but if the service is English, or if the number of guests is larger, there should be one or more other servants; and for elaborate dinners a butler should attend to the wine, direct the general table-routine, and, when not actually engaged, stand beside the host or hostess and watch to make sure that no person is unserved, because it is exceedingly awkward for a guest to ask for attention. The hostess so largely depends upon the servants for ease during the progress of the dinner, that she should, before it begins, make sure that they are entirely conversant with the wants of guests and the capacity of the establishment. This point is especially essential when temporary attendants are brought in: they should be well informed concerning all the facilities of the house which can in any way affect the comfort of the guests. These details of service as closely affect the perfection of dinner-giving as does the deportment of the hostess when she stands ready to receive her guests. If the resources of the establishment are limited, a perfectly quiet entertainment should be given, the requirements of which come within the capacity of the household. A good hostess never inflicts the chance of failure upon her friends, and never makes experiments with her guests. Her servants know just what they have to do, and do not either cause delay by being unprepared, or make a noisy haste in performing their duties. If any accident occurs at the table, they know how to remedy it quietly; and they do every thing necessary to the comfort of the hour, without prompting. If the hostess knows that her servant will spread a fresh napkin over sauce spilled upon the cloth from a dish, or cover a claret-stain with salt, and conceal it with a napkin, she will naturally be easier than if she thinks such possible mishaps must go unremedied; in a word, if she feels sure of her service, she can give every thought to the entertainment of her guests. All this is very easy to suggest: it is possible to accomplish if the hostess has tact and management, and sufficient good sense to limit her social ambition by her own ability to carry out her plans. She will never attempt to exceed her means in dispensing hospitality: her table appointments will be abundant and suitable, even if they are simple. Her choice of dishes will be confined to those which she knows can be well made at home, or she will call in competent outside help to insure success in specialties. She will never affront her guests by serving a dish that is not absolutely good; and, unless for very formal occasions, she will place before them delicacies such as she is famous for making or ordering. Unless they are intimate friends, she will not urge them to partake of her fare, or invite comments upon it; but she can none the less stamp her dinners with her own individuality. The novice in dinner-giving should confine her first efforts within small bounds, beginning with few dishes, a very simple service, and a small number of guests; as she gains the confidence which follows frequent efforts, she can safely extend her hospitality; but she should take care that it never becomes ostentatious. Efforts to make a lavish display are vulgar. The model hostess gives well-chosen guests the best of her fare, and so marks her superiority; but the parvenue exhausts the market to overload a table, and yet fails to create enjoyable dinners. The formal dinner-invitation is a courtesy which a guest even of intimate standing has a right to expect from the hostess: it may either be written upon fine stationery, or engraved in script. The prevailing form is:-- Mr. & Mrs........... request the company of Mr. & Mrs. ............ Company at dinner. January Second, at Eight O'clock. No. 500 Madison Avenue. The favor of an answer is requested. The text above appears inside of a box, in the form of an invitation. A written answer should be returned directly the invitation is received, using the same personal form that appears in the invitation. If the invitation is accepted, and any circumstance arises to prevent attendance, the hostess should be informed at once; but no trivial affair should be allowed to interfere. Formal invitations and replies to dinner-invitations should be sent by hand: other invitations may go by post. After a dinner a call is imperative: a card is not a proper acknowledgment. Invitations to dinners of more than ten persons should go out two weeks in advance of the date chosen. A husband is never invited without his wife, or vice versa, unless one is known to be an invalid or out of society, except where there is sufficient intimacy to warrant this departure from formality when some expected guest disappoints at the last moment: the affair should always be clearly understood even then. The social duties of the hostess are too clearly defined to admit of any deviation from them; but according to the number of her guests, and the degree of intimacy with them, she may give them more or less personal attention,--the fact being understood, that there is ample attendance to insure every one's comfort; after that, she may permit herself to take some degree of pleasure in the society of her special favorites, although she never may give any one but the guest of honor such attention as to be conspicuous. At least half an hour before the time named for dinner, the hostess should be dressed and ready to receive her guests, although they are not expected to arrive much before the dinner-hour. Her place should be near enough the door to permit her to welcome each one who enters. To the ladies she says a pleasant word, and establishes them comfortably, chatting with them between the arrivals; to every gentleman she at once indicates the lady whom he is to take in to dinner, introducing him if the parties are strangers. At large and formal dinners, each gentleman, as he passes from the entrance-hall to the drawing-room, receives from an attendant a small envelope, presented upon a salver, containing a card bearing the name of the lady he is expected to escort, and usually a small boutonnière : if he does not know the lady, he must at once inform the hostess so that the necessary introduction can take place. The short interval between the arrival of the guests and the service of the dinner may be spent in greeting acquaintances and in pleasant chat about passing events or subjects of general interest: all dinner-talk should be light and amusing, but even common-place is more acceptable than silence. The wise ones avail themselves of this opportunity to approach those to whom they wish to speak, because they know that during dinner conversation is possible only between neighbors, and after it is over all are likely to be engrossed in following up dinner-table topics, or the departure of guests may render intercourse impossible. When all the guests have arrived, a servant opens the dining-room door when it adjoins the drawing-room; or otherwise he approaches the hostess, and says, "Dinner is served," or "Madame is served." The host then leads the way to the dining-room, with the oldest or most distinguished lady present upon his arm. No delay is made for guests, unless they are of much importance: it is the imperative duty of a guest to be punctual; far better to exceed in earliness than to be one moment late. In the dining-room, the servant draws out the chair of the guest of honor, or that of the lady whom the host escorts: if there are attendants enough, the chairs of all the guests may be drawn out, and replaced by the attendants as the guests are seated. All seat themselves as they enter the room, each gentleman assisting the lady he escorts when there are not enough servants to place the chairs. As the guests arrange themselves comfortably at the table, they may unfold their napkins, and begin to eat the shellfish, without waiting until all are placed when the number is at all large. Usually there is no formal beginning, except at private dinners when some ceremonial of grace preludes the repast: taste and custom regulate these matters. In entering the dining-room after the host, there is no special order of precedence in America, unless the chief magistrate or some locally honored personage is present: ordinarily the gentleman who is the guest of honor goes into the dining-room last, with the hostess, and is seated at her right. If the table is small, the host indicates the places the guests are to occupy as they enter the room; if the party is large, a little menu -card is placed at each cover, bearing the name of the guest for whom it is designed. After the shellfish is eaten, the lady who is escorted by the host, and who sits at his right hand, is served first, then the other ladies, and after them the gentlemen: each guest may begin to eat as soon as served. The routine of the dinner has been given elsewhere. At the close of the dinner, the hostess bows to the lady at the right of the host, who rises and opens the door for her, and she leads the way out of the dining-room, the other ladies following her, and the hostess going last: this, of course, is at large formal dinners, otherwise there is no special form imperative. It is a graceful courtesy for the gentlemen to rise as the ladies leave the table, and assist them with their chairs. Sometimes they prefer to accompany them to the drawing-room; but if any remain at the table, the host must stay with them, and see that they are served with wine or cordials, and coffee and cigars. It is of course understood, in polite society, that no excess is tolerated; and any young man showing any inclination to pass the limits of moderation very soon finds himself tabooed. The use of wine at ordinary dinners is a matter of solely personal preference, but at state dinners its absence would be an affront to the guests. In the drawing-room, the hostess should always chat a little with all her guests, even if the number is large; but she should pay special attention to strangers. If there is any lady present accomplished in any way, the hostess may request her to assist in entertaining the others; and compliance on the part of the guest should be immediate and cheerful, unless there is some grave reason for declining. The hostess may omit such requests for assistance, without implying any offence. In the case of guests who are professionally distinguished, this question of entertainment should always be previously understood, because sometimes there are objections to their contributing to the evening's amusement. After the gentlemen enter the drawing-room, tea should be served, and then the guests are at liberty to depart; but where strict social propriety is preserved, no one should leave until after the guest of honor has gone. As each guest takes leave of the hostess, a few words should be said in acknowledgment of the enjoyment of a pleasant evening, without any reference to the dinner itself. The call after the dinner should be made in due time, as also should the reciprocating hospitality. CHAPTER X. THE ETIQUETTE OF VARIOUS ENTERTAIN- MENTS. LARGE BREAKFASTS. AS breakfasts are far less expensive than dinner-parties and as the time chosen, between nine and twelve o'clock, is generally less full than the evening hours, these entertainments are greatly favored by people of leisure. In common with luncheons, they afford a pleasant and available form of hospitality which gentlemen without establishments can offer to their lady friends. The etiquette is very simple: an informal written invitation, sent either by hand or post, to which there is an immediate corresponding response, and a return entertainment during the season, when the breakfast is given by a lady, fulfil all requirements. The toilet for guests is a walking costume, and for the host a quiet morning toilet. The place of the entertainment may be in one's own house, or at any well-known restaurant. The table should be laid in a sunny, cheerful room, with spotless linen and china, and polished glass and silver. The table arrangement for an elaborate breakfast is the same as for dinner, except that no soup is served, and the coffee and tea equipages are placed upon the table. Bread, butter, relishes, condiments, fruit and flowers, are upon the table; the hot dishes are upon the sideboard in chafing-dishes, or are served hot from the kitchen in courses, according to the preference of the host. Hot breads come to the table with a napkin thrown over them, as also do baked potatoes , fritters, fried cakes, scallops, gratins, breaded chops, croquettes, and all dishes which would be impaired by having moisture fall upon them as it condenses on china or silver covers. Dry toast should be served in a rack, or the slices set on edge on a hot plate, and only a small quantity made and served at once; it should be delicately brown and crisp; buttered toast should be set in the oven for a moment after it is made, and then served covered with a hot napkin; milk-toast should be served in a covered dish, from which the cover should be lifted quickly and reversed at once to prevent the condensed steam falling back upon the toast. Butter should be cut in small squares, or moulded, and kept in ice-water or upon a cake of ice until it is served. Boiled eggs should be served very hot the moment they are done, and eaten from the shell with a spoon: in America the custom prevails of breaking the eggs into a glass or cup before eating them. The shells of eggs should be washed in cold water before they are boiled. Fruit is placed upon the table and eaten as the guests desire. The whole fruits, such as apples, oranges, bananas, cherries, and melons, are usually eaten at the beginning of the repast; and those which require sugar, such as berries, pine-apples, and peaches, are taken towards its close. The cereals, such as oatmeal, hominy, and cracked wheat, are eaten after the whole fruit, with sirup, cream, or preserves. The coffee, chocolate, cocoa, and tea are taken at the guests' pleasure. After the fruit and cereals come the small meats, eggs, and garnished side-dishes of fish, game, and poultry. The breakfast closes with the fried cakes, and cut fruit with sugar, or berries, according to the season. When wines are used at breakfast, they should be Sauternes, white Burgundy, hock, or claret. A good breakfast, of medium extent, would be as follows:-- BILL OF FARE. Cantelope or Oranges. Broiled Fish with Stewed and Saratoga Potatoes. Maryland Chicken with Cream Gravy and Hominy. Iced Oatmeal with Cream. Olives. Small Tenderloin Steaks with Watercresses and Radishes. Omelette with Mushrooms. Waffles. Pone. Rice Cakes with Maple Sirup. Peaches iced and sugared. THE FAMILY BREAKFAST. This meal is second only in importance to the dinner, especially when any extreme mental labor is demanded of the members of the family. The importance of early and substantial breakfasts is emphasized in the writings of the author upon sanitary matters, and consequently such repetition here is unnecessary; but of the fact that the housekeeper should personally superintend and be present at this meal, there can be no question. If the breakfast is unsatisfactory, a man half hungry or exhausted will generally have recourse to some tonic stimulant to carry him through his morning work; and a second thought is not needed to realize the consequence of such a custom. Our national habits demand that the breakfast shall be hot and abundant, and that there shall be such successive variety that the appetite shall always be stimulated. Fresh fruit in season, or that preserved with little or no sugar, or radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, watercress, or lettuce, should make a part of every breakfast if obtainable. Oatmeal, cracked wheat, or some form of hominy or corn-meal, with cream, milk, sugar, or sirup, is indispensable when the family includes children. Coffee, chocolate, and cocoa are suitable breakfast beverages, but tea is undesirable. Meat, eggs, or fish, in some hot form, should always be served, and potatoes or variety in breads are desirable. Nearly all American breakfasts include some form of hot fried cakes with sirup or sugar. The family breakfast-table is laid with the coffee-service at the head of the table; the largest hot dish at the other end; a knife, fork, spoon, glass, napkin, small bread -and- butter plate, and salt, at each cover; and the side-dish, breads, and fruit at convenient places upon the table. When fruit is served first, as a separate course, it may be placed before the other dishes are brought in, with a special plate, fruit -knife, and napkin, and a finger-bowl for each cover, which are to be removed before the breakfast is served. When there are not many servants, the care of the breakfast-table falls upon the ladies of the family; and there should be preparations made for clearing away the table, and washing all but the greasy dishes in the breakfast-room. A side-table is necessary for this, or a large butler's tray, upon which the dishes can be gathered in regular piles or groups after they are freed from the remains of the breakfast. Any dishes removed from the table in the course of the meal can be placed there, being protected from flies if they contain food which can be used again; the plates and saucers in little piles, the cups and glasses in groups, and the spoons, knives, and forks in a tray. To wash the dishes, a small wooden tub or a tin pan, with a little mop or a clean dishcloth, soap, and plenty of hot water for washing and rinsing, are required. The glasses are to be washed first, rinsed in warm water, and dried at once on clean towels; then the cups and saucers and the sauce -dishes; next the silver; and finally the dishes and empty platters, all scraps of food having first been removed from them. The washing-water should be changed frequently, and a little borax or washing-soda dissolved in it to facilitate the removal of the grease. When a butler's pantry adjoins the breakfast-room, the dishes are always washed there; the same care being exercised in keeping the sink clean as in the kitchen. Dishes removed to the kitchen to be washed should be just as neatly and carefully treated as in the pantry or breakfast-room: after the dishcloths and towels are used, they should be thoroughly washed in hot soapy water, rinsed in hot clean water, and dried in the sun or at least in the open air. FAMILY LUNCHEON. The range for family luncheon is as elastic as that for more formal occasions. In the country, and also in town where there are children in the family, it often takes on the form of a simple dinner; in that case, the service is as for dinner, the dessert-service and tea and coffee being upon the side-board. If the luncheon is plain, the service is the same as for breakfast. The suitable dishes are small hot meats, fish, game -birds, poultry, dressed salads, all forms of potatoes and eggs, bread and butter, cheese and crackers, vegetables, fruit, and sweets. A servant may attend, or any one may rise from the table to fetch what is required. In the country, or where the luncheon is practically the children's dinner, the service should include soup or bouillon if possible; the latter is served in shallow bowl-shaped cups, the former in small soup-plates. A hot joint, with one cold meat if desired in addition, potatoes boiled or baked, and one or more hot vegetables, together with a simple dessert, gives a good luncheon variety. The covers are laid as for dinner, with napkin and bread, two knives and forks, a spoon, water-glass, and salt; if one wine is used, it may be claret or sherry at the family luncheon, or some malt beverage or cider may replace the tea or coffee, at the choice of the family. Among intimate friends an invitation to luncheon may be general, or it is quite proper for them to claim hospitality without it. LUNCHEON PARTIES. Luncheons are essentially ladies' parties, usually given by ladies in their own homes; sometimes an informal lunch is given at some restaurant celebrated for some special dish, but the preference is for the home entertainment. The invitations are the same as for breakfasts. The table is laid as for dinner, save that the linen may be embroidered or colored; and any dinner form of service may be followed, save that some of the courses are omitted. At an informal luncheon, all the dishes may be placed upon the table at once, after the shellfish and bouillon are eaten; and then the attendants may be sent from the room if the guests wish to be alone with the hostess. Fruit, flowers, and relishes may be used in decorating the table, together with any sweets not iced: these are to be served at the moment of eating. Bon bons, preserves, and confectionery are in place on the lunch-table. The bill of fare may range from crackers and cheese and ale, to a menu elaborate enough for a little dinner. The formal luncheon begins with bouillon or broth served in china bowl-shaped cups standing in saucers, or with a dinner-soup served in a soup-plate; next come the hot entrÉes, combination salads, terrapin; and then Roman punch, and the broiled game with green salad; and last the sweets and fruit. Chocolate is an appropriate luncheon beverage, as also are malt liquors for plain lunches. The luncheon wines are Sauterne, sherry, and Champagne; or the different summer beverages, such as claret-cup and its kindred, may be used; or wine may be omitted altogether, at choice. The formal luncheon is served like the dinner à la Russe, the attendant beginning the service with the lady at the right hand of the hostess. The guest's preference is asked in the matter of wine; the plates are changed as at dinner, cold ones being used for salad and dessert; finger-bowls are placed with the dessert, after the table has been cleared. When fresh sugared or small fruits are used, they are served in fancy saucers set on a napkin laid in a dessert-plate; and a silver knife, fork, and spoon are placed beside the plate as it is laid upon the table by the waiter. Ice-creams and ices served in small paper cases are also placed upon a napkin in a dessert-plate. Berries are eaten from the stem or with a spoon; cut sugared fruits with a spoon; melons with knife and fork or a spoon, according to their solidity; grapes are eaten from the fingers, and care is taken to delicately place the seeds and skins upon the plate. Hard cheese is eaten with a fork or from the fingers; the soft, rich kinds may be put upon a biscuit or piece of bread with the knife, and so lifted to the mouth. Salads are eaten with the fork, a knife being used to divide them. At the earlier stages of the repast, the fork is used for croquettes, vegetables, fish, and small carved entrÉes, the knife being used only when absolutely necessary for cutting. Luncheon favors, which are to be carried away by the guests, may consist of bonbonnières, fans, little bags or baskets, flowers in fancy holders, bouquet-pins, menu -holders when there are bills of fare, or any pretty trifle. The invitations to small luncheons may be written on the ordinary note-paper, or engraved in script on cards when the affair is to be formal. The following is a good menu of a luncheon of moderate size:-- BILL OF FARE. Bouillon. Lobster Chops with Tomato Sauce. Cucumbers. Olives. Radishes. Crackers and Cheese. Mayonnaise of Chicken. Vol-au-vent of Oysters. Breast of Grouse broiled, with Orange Salad. Lettuce Salad. Roquefort Cheese. Toasted Crackers. Bavarian Cream Noyeau Jelly. Tutti Frutti. Chocolate. Fruit. Bonbons. AFTERNOON RECEPTIONS. The double motive of securing the visits of pleasant friends, and of massing together such tedious ones as might be unwelcome, leads many ladies to choose a day for the reception of visitors. The time is specified upon the visiting-cards which are used with those to whom one desires to be "at home." The form may be " At home Wednesdays, " " Wednesdays, 4 to 6, " or, when it is desirable to limit the time, " Wednesdays in December; " the day, hour, or month being chosen with reference to other social duties or occupations. Very often married ladies invite some young friend to receive with them, and in that case the young lady's name appears upon the card of the hostess:-- Mrs. Charles Adams, Miss Brewster, At Home Wednesday, December Second, from 4 to 6. 29 West 41st Street. The text above appears inside a box, in the form of an invitation. The receipt of a card bearing a date like this is an invitation to the recipient; if the hour named is in daylight, the costume called for is a quietly elegant carriage-toilet or walking-dress, with an appropriate bonnet and wrap. Cards are not left by the callers unless there is a card reciever in the entrance-hall; in that case the card is left there when the guest departs. As the servant opens the door, the visitors pass at once into the drawing-room, where the hostess receives: her dress should be a fresh but not too elaborate home toilette. Callers are not necessarily introduced, but they are at liberty to chat with each other, because discrimination in the distribution of cards is taken for granted; and the hostess must manage to entertain all with equal attention; in order to assist the hostess in this rather difficult position, the call should be short. If it is impossible to call upon set days, the visitor should be content to leave her card, as only decided intimacy warrants the request to see a lady except upon her "days." When refreshments are served at these afternoon receptions, they should be quite simple; a few fancy biscuit or petit-fours, with wine or cordial, may be upon a side-table where one of the ladies of the family presides, or they may be passed upon a small salver by a maid-servant. Cake and lemonade, or very dainty sandwiches and tea, may be used at discretion; in any case the refreshment must be light, otherwise the reception takes on the appearance of a kettle-drum. AFTERNOON TEAS. The pleasantest of all informal social gatherings are those known as teas, high teas, and kettle-drums; sometimes they take their name from some special characteristic, such as the color of the tea -equipage or of the napery or the flowers, lovely effects being possible. The hostess invites a few friends, either verbally or by an informal note; or, when these entertainments are to be frequent, she may save herself trouble by having a card engraved in script, with blanks for dates:-- Mr. George Morris, Wednesday,............. No. 5 West 23 St. Tea at Five o'clock. The text above appears inside of a box, in the form of an invitation. When young ladies receive, their names appear on their mother's card; if the mother is dead, upon the father's card, and the card of the chaperone who is to assist them is sent at the same time. The invitations are given about three days in advance, and should receive the courtesy of a written answer; after the tea, a card should be left within two or three days by those invited as well as by the guests, unless the latter are intimate, when the call may be omitted, but the tea must be returned in due season. The hostess usually invites friends, or those whom she knows wish to become acquainted. The proper toilet is the same as for afternoon-receptions. If the tea -table is large, it may be laid with an embroidered cloth with napkins to match; ornamented china and flowers may be used. Where the large table is used, and there are several ladies to assist in entertaining the guests, they may be seated at it; but when the hostess presides alone, it is more convenient and pleasant to have the tea served from a side-table by the servants, to little tables placed near groups of guests in different parts of the room. Some of these little tables are provided with an under-shelf which is available for an extra plate or cup. The ornamentation of the small tables is often beautiful in the extreme, as they are a favorite medium for displaying the skill of the hostess in embroidery, or her taste in the choice of harmonious surroundings. Some teas take their title from a specialty of ornamentation: for instance, at a pink tea the prevailing color in table-linen, china, and flowers, would be pink; at a rose tea, rose-color would exceed, and the flowers would be roses, including a corsage bouquet for each guest, or a choice flower in the winter season. The tea should consist of thin bread and butter, delicate sandwiches and relishes, and some very good tea. The finer brands of Chinese and Russian tea can now sometimes be obtained in this country. A favorite English mixture is one pound of Congo to a quarter of a pound each of Assam and Orange Pekoe; another delicious tea mixture which is sent to Eastern friends from ladies in San Francisco is the Chinese Kettle-drum brand. Cake, coffee, oysters, or dressed salads may be served if desired; but the table should never be overloaded, or exhibit an ostentatious display. FAMILY TEAS. At family teas, or suppers, the table is laid in the same way as for breakfast, except that the tea-equipage replaces that used for coffee; unless the tray is of silver, it is now the custom to lay the cups and saucers upon the tablecloth, and place the rest of the service towards the right hand and in front of the hostess. The usual dishes are small hot breads, toast, preserves or honey, cake, bread and butter, cheese, with either cold or hot meat, game, or eggs in some form. The service is always quiet and informal. GENTLEMEN'S SUPPERS. As ladies entertain their intimates at luncheons, so gentlemen delight in special suppers,--fish-suppers, game-suppers, oyster-suppers, or general entertainments where the menu embraces all the delicacies of the season. As the hostess never appears at these suppers, they can be made absolutely perfect if she is a good housewife. They may either be parties of invitation, the guests being notified three or four days in advance, or impromptu when the scope of one's establishment permits a sudden accession in numbers. The hour chosen is generally late, after a card-party or a visit to some place of amusement. The table appointments may be the same as for breakfasts or luncheons, according to the service of tea and coffee or wine. There should always be black coffee served from the side-table, some flowers and fruit, plenty of light, and wine at discretion or claret- or champagne-cup in summer. The dishes suitable for gentlemen's suppers are hot and cold entrÉes, the latter being small and highly seasoned, plenty of relishes, salads with mayonnaise, shellfish and game of all kinds, Welsh rarebits and other forms of cheese, crackers, scalloped and devilled dishes, and a few sweets if the party is large. Unless the occasion is some special one, all formality of service is dispensed with, the dishes all being placed upon the table at the beginning of the supper, the hot ones over chafing-dishes, and the attendants leaving the room after the first service. Malted beverages may be substituted for wine, or tea, coffee, and chocolate used at the pleasure of the guests. SUPPER PARTIES. At the set supper, whether it follows an evening at the theatre or an entertainment at home, or whether it is made the subject of special invitation, the service is either that of the luncheon for informal affairs, or that of the dinner à la Russe, in courses with appropriate wines, except that no soup is used, either bouillon or stewed oysters replacing it. Oysters in any form and in variety are appropriate at all suppers, except that raw oysters are not usually served at ball-suppers. A plain supper may consist of a dish of oysters, a cold roast chicken, and a salad; one wine, or punch, or tea or coffee at pleasure. A hot supper, a little more elaborate, might be of bouillon, sweetbreads with peas, asparagus, or mushrooms, hot broiled or roasted game, a salad, an ice, champagne and coffee, and some bonbons. Still another, more extensive, might be bouillon, small hot entrÉes of oysters, sweetbreads, foie-gras, and terrapin; game with salad, and a little rich old cheese; then jellies, ices, fruit, coffee, and a liqueur or brandy. The best light supper dirnks are the different "cups;" the favorite supper wines are sherry, Madeira, Burgundy, and champagne; the winter beverages are mulled wine, eggnog, and punch. At all suppers the host takes the most distinguished or the oldest lady present to the supper-room; the guests follow without any special precedence; and the hostess comes last, having with her the guest to whom she wishes to pay the most attention. The servants do not leave the supper-room unless all the dishes are placed upon the table at once: in that case, they may be dismissed after the first service of the guests. EVENING PARTIES. At evening parties where the entertainment is dancing, or music and conversation, the refreshment may be elaborate or simple as the hostess chooses; cake, chocolate, and ices are suitable, or sherry and biscuit, or a bowl of punch and little cakes; or a table may be arranged with white linen, flowers, fruit, salads, and cold entrÉes, ice-cream and cake, ices, punch, eggnog, tea, coffee, wine, claret-cup, or champagne, as one's inclination or means dictate. From the simplest to the most elaborate the range is permissible, always with the intent to escape vulgar profusion. The collation may be served at any hour after ten o'clock if there is a set table; or it may be upon a side-table if simple, to be partaken of at the desire of the guests. CINDERELLA PARTIES. The popular English entertainments called Cinderella-parties are simply evening dances beginning at an early hour, say nine o'clock, and ending at midnight. The dress, refreshments, and etiquette are the same as for ordinary evening parties. The invitations are "at home" cards, with the hour and date written in, and "Cinderella Dancing" written or printed in one corner, at the choice of the hostess: the invitations are sent out at a length of time in advance corresponding to the importance of the entertainment. CARD PARTIES. These parties are good amusements for evenings in autumn and winter. They are usually composed of intimates: the entire service is informal, and very little of the burden of entertainment falls upon the hosts. And only the lightest of refreshments are necessary: they should be of such nature as to permit partaking of them without interfering with the games; either sherry and biscuit, claret-cup, or tea and coffee, with little cakes, or ale, crackers and cheese, are suitable and sufficient; they may be served from a side-table, or placed upon little tables near the guests as at afternoon teas. Claret-cup is made either in a fancy flagon or pitcher of glass, or in a large silver "loving-cup" holding over a quart, made in the form of a high vase, richly engraved and decorated; when the beverage is drank as a "loving-cup," a large, fine white napkin is placed in one of the handles, for the purpose of wiping the edge of the cup after each guest drinks from it. When cards are objectionable, dominoes, checkers, or chess may replace them; the purpose of all such games being social amusement. CALLING DURING ENTERTAINMENTS. When a chance caller arrives at a house while any entertainment is going on, to which guests have been invited, it is perfectly permissible for the hostess to be "not at home;" this excuse, given by the servant at the door, should never be made a subject of social comment or offence, because the hostess has a right to decide what friends she shall select to partake of any form of pleasure, or for the discharge of her social obligations. NEW YEAR'S RECEPTIONS. The once favorite receptions are gradually falling out of use, but a few hints may be given for those who wish to pursue the old custom. It is quite proper to offer only hot coffee and a sandwich ; or one wine and a plain cake or biscuit; a bowl of punch, a tureen of hot bouillon, and a salad and some cold game or a galantine; or hot oysters or terrapin and Madeira : any of these are suitable; but the service should be simple in the extreme, one maid attending at the table or sideboard. At the door a maid or a man may attend. The caller upon entering sends in his card, unless he is a rather intimate friend, in which case he enters the drawing-room at once, and leaves his card when he departs, upon the card-receiver in the hall. When ladies do not wish to receive, a small basket, placed outside the door for callers to drop their cards into, is sometimes used, although this practice is falling into disusage; many society people now pass the holidays at country houses. WEDDING RECEPTIONS AND BREAKFASTS. The invitations are in the name of the parents or of the surviving parent, engraved in script upon note-paper. The prevailing form is:-- Mr. & Mrs. Francis Adams Request the pleasure of yoru Company at the Wedding of their Daughter ............to........... At the Church of the Trinity, On Wednesday, Febuary Fourteenth, At One o'clock. The text above appears inside of a box, in the form of an invitation. The cards of the bride and bridegroom are enclosed with the invitation to the wedding; the invitation to the reception or breakfast is engraved upon a separate card, and enclosed in the same envelope. The invitations to wedding-breakfasts are sent out two weeks in advance, and the reply must be as immediate and formal as for a dinner. At wedding-receptions, a servant should be at the door of the drawing-room to announce the names of callers, whose cards, bearing an address, must be left in the hall; gentlemen leave their hats in the hall when there is a breakfast. Invited guests must either attend the reception, or send cards within ten days, call personally within the season or the year, and if possible entertain the newly wedded pair within three months. At a reception, the refreshments may be a cake and one wine, but no tea or coffee is served even at a full breakfast. The wedding-breakfast may consist of bouillon, wine at choice, salads, small game, shellfish, ices, creams, and jellies; the wedding-cake is set before the bride, who cuts the first slice; boxes of the same kind of cake are upon the table for the guests to take, but they are no longer sent out. The ladies wear their bonnets to wedding receptions and breakfasts, and when the room is limited the breakfast is usually a "stand-up" affair. After the return from the wedding-tour, the bride and groom are given dinners at the houses of both their families and of the bridesmaids. They need not entertain in return, except by set reception-days; then the refreshments may be tea and cake upon trays or little tables, or the service of a high tea or a kettle-drum. For silver and golden weddings, the entertainment may be simple or elaborate at the wish of the hosts. The invitations are "at home" cards, with date and "Silver Wedding" engraved upon them, or they may be in script on note-paper. Among the collation there should be a wedding-cake containing a ring. When introductions take place at any entertainment, the hostess should introduce the younger to the elder, and the least distinguished person to the celebrity, first being sure that the introduction is desired by both parties. At large teas, receptions, and garden-parties, general introductions are out of the question: but the guests are at liberty to converse without them; they do not necessarily involve themselves in future intercourse thereby, nor do they by watering-place introductions unless they are desired. COUNTRY-HOUSE PARTIES. The entertainment of guests at country houses demands much more hospitable feeling and versatility of attainments than the courtesy of city party-giving, which taxes the host for only a few hours. To the pleased guest at a country house, the agreeable visit may easily lengthen into weeks unless a limit has been set in the invitation; but what seems to him an unbroken round of natural pleasures may have severely taxed the hospitable ingenuity of the entertainer, so that a visit should never be extended unless the guest has every assurance that it is desired. All enjoyment under such circumstances depends upon the prevalence of harmony of tastes and feeling among the guests; for, despite the fact that many out-door amusements and occupations engross them during the day, every evening re-unites them. If their selection for a three-hour dinner requires tact and thought, how much more is demanded when the arrangement is for the long and informal association which country life implies! In inviting guests to a country house, the date and duration of the visit should be defined; and, when the invitation is accepted, the hostess should at once advise the guest of the most convenient way of reaching her house, giving the hours for trains if the expected arrival is to be by rail, and having a carriage at the depot upon the arrival of the train, unless the party of guests coming at once is very large; in that case, etiquette does not require the hostess to send carriage if there are any public conveyances, although it is a graceful courtesy to do so. It is not imperative to welcome the guests at the station, but the hostess should, if possible, be at home when they reach the house: if they come in turn, after the departure of others, and if she is absent from the house pending the entertainment of resident guests, she should see that all preparations are made for the comfort of the latest comers, and should order tea to be served in their rooms at once. It is allowable for guests to refresh themselves and rest before joining the company below stairs, but only illness is a plea for the absence of either guests or hostess from the dinner-table. Before the dinner-hour the hostess should be in the parlors to receive the guests, and introduce them to each other; and she should designate companions in specifying the order of entering the dining-room, unless the party is a family one, when all formality may be dispensed with. After dinner, the evening's amusement should be so planned by her as to throw congenial people together, and to allot to each one that share of the general entertainment best suited to his or her capacity or accomplishments; for in such assemblies the pleasure of all often depends upon the talents of individuals. Books, musical instruments, games, and various devices for social amusement are plentiful and varied, so that no hostess need be at a loss for aids to her hospitality. When bedtime arrives, the hostess should give the signal for retiring. In the morning she should preside at the breakfast-table for about an hour, after which she may leave the late-comers to the care of the servants, and devote herself to the pleasure of the guests who first join her, until personal or household matters demand her attention. Unless the house-party is large, all the guests should endeavor to be at the breakfast-table with some degree of punctuality; but the breakfast should begin at its stated hour. Letters and papers may be glanced at during the meal if the party is large enough to be redeemed from stupidity by such proceeding, but it shows a lack of courtesy to centre one's entire attention upon a book during any repast when others are present at the table. After luncheon the hostess must devote herself to her guests until it is time to dress for dinner; that is, she must devise some scheme of pleasure in which all can join, or see that individuals have some pleasant occupation offered. But in no case need she burden herself with undue care; after once having made sure that she has placed enjoyment within the reach of her guests, she may leave them to avail themselves of it, or to rest, as best contents them. On Sunday the hostess should accompany guests to church, when they desire to attend divine service, preceding them up the aisle, and standing by the pew-door until they are seated. When the guests are ready to terminate their visit, the hostess should be in the parlor in ample time for them to make their farewell and reach their train without haste. GARDEN AND LAWN PARTIES. All brief country entertainments, such as summer garden and lawn parties, tennis, archery and croquet tournaments, and picnics and drives, are arranged with reference to the weather: the invitations take on the form of an informal note, and usually bear the proviso "weather permitting," although guests are never expected on wet days. The invitations are issued in the name of the hostess, and are not engraved unless the affair is one of magnitude: when carriages are to meet any special train bringing guests from the city, the invitation should indicate that fact, and a time-table should be enclosed with the invitation. The hostess should receive her guests in a handsome garden-dress with a bonnet: the guests should wear tennis, archery, or other special dress, when the party assumes any definite character; otherwise a pretty summer dress is suitable for the ladies, and any well-made flannel or woollen suit for the gentlemen. When the entertainment involves special exercise, as when tennis is played, there should be pleasant seats provided out of doors; and if there is not plenty of shade, one or more tents should be erected; and rugs should be laid if the ground is at all damp. When games are to be played, the best possible outfit should be provided, suited in abundance and variety to the number of guests; and such games should be chosen as afford amusement to both ladies and gentlemen. When the games are exhausting, there should be a special tent devoted to the comfort of the players, and provided with such forms of light refreshments and restoratives as are most quickly conducive to comfort,--cordials, hot coffee, cigars, and the cooling "cups" especially; and there should be an attendant constantly in service there, besides some one to come and go between the house and the tent. The form of refreshment for all the lawn-parties is about the same. Either a room opening upon the lawn, or a tent, is set apart for the repast, and servants attend to it all the time while the guests are upon the grounds. The dishes are generally small cold entrÉes, sandwiches, relishes, salads, and a few small sweets; ices, sorbets, and ice-creams are acceptable, together with the small fruits in season; tea, coffee, chocolate, claret and champagne cups, lemonade, and the various temperance beverages, are supplied plentifully, contained in glass pitchers, and poured into tumblers. The picnic refreshments should be chiefly cold luncheon dishes, which can be transported easily and neatly, with very few sweets; coffee and lemonade are generally made upon the picnic ground, and if any wines are used they should be warming; cordial of some kind, or spirits, should be carried in case of sudden illness. The spot chosen for picnics should be remote enough to be secure from intrusion, but near some shelter, because summer storms so often come up without any previous indication: there should be no glare of sun or water without the possible relief of a grove or a tent, because that alone often causes serious discomfort and even sickness. The dress should be a stout walking-costume of woollen material, with a hat large enough to shelter the eyes, and a cane or staff if there is any rough climbing. In arranging a picnic party, if gentlemen are available they should equal the ladies in number; and unless the picnic is an invitation affair, each party should understand what part of the luncheon they are expected to contribute. When invitations are issued, they should go out about a week in advance of the date fixed upon, and should include the house-party of the person to whom they are sent unless some young lady is invited to complete a desired number; then the invitation should include her chaperone. Invitations should be answered at once definitely. When the party arrives at the picnic ground, the hours for luncheon and departure should be fixed upon, and then the pursuits of the day may be followed according to individual inclination; but unless there are plenty of attendants, the labor of preparing and removing the luncheon should not be allowed to fall upon a few persons unless they desire it to be so. The day's enjoyment should not be marred by too late a stay or too lingering a return, and stragglers by inclination should remember that their delay may mar the pleasure of others. When the picnic is not one of invitation, but the meeting of friends commonly bent on enjoyment, each guest may defray a share of the general expense. Arrangements for camping-out parties are so complicated as to extend beyond the limits of a paragraph, and therefore readers interested in the author's plans for such gatherings are referred to her work specially devoted to that subject. PART II. CHAPTER I. SMALL SHELL-FISH. SHELL-FISH ON THE HALF-SHELL (HUîTRES). THE custom generally prevails in this country, of beginning every dinner, where there is any attempt at formality, with small shell-fish served on the half-shell. Even in the inland towns, oysters and hard clams can usually be procured, for they are now shipped in barrels from the eastern seaboard to all parts of the country accessible by rail. Sometimes a fine grade of canned oysters is served on plates painted to imitate five or six half oyster-shells; but great care should be exercised, if this is done, to have the oysters used directly the can is opened; if there is the slightest taint, or deterioration from exposure to the air, the success of the dinner will be marred. Indeed, it is best to omit this first service of shell-fish, unless they can be freshly taken from the shells. The proper accompaniments for raw shell-fish are lemon and brown bread and butter, both of which are placed upon the table when it is laid. OYSTERS ON THE HALF-SHELL. Choose the smallest plump oysters which can be obtained. In the New-York markets, all very small oysters in good condition for serving on the half-shell are called Blue-Points. The small native oysters of California are excellent, having the coppery taste so much esteemed by European epicures. The small oysters of the southern Atlantic seaboard are delicious. Have the shells of the oysters liberally dashed with cold water to free them from mud, and then open them, loosening the oyster from both sides of the shell by dividing the muscle variously called the "eye" and the "heart" (both terms are erroneous); take off the shallow half of the shell, leaving the oyster lying loose in the deep part, carefully removing all bits of shell which may be broken in opening the oysters : if the oysters are carefully opened, very little of the shell will be broken. Arrange the deep half-shells containing the oysters upon plates, five or six on each plate, with the smallest part of the shell towards the centre of the plate; put a quarter of a lemon in the midst of the oysters, and have more lemon upon the table, together with several plates of brown bread, cut very thin and buttered and then folded to enclose the butter. Do not dish the oysters until just as they are wanted for the table: they may be opened, arranged in the deep shells on a large pan or tray, and kept in the ice-box until just before serving them. The plates containing the oysters are placed upon the tables just before the guests enter the dining-room. OYSTERS IN A BLOCK OF ICE. This method of icing oysters is more suitable for luncheon, or for a gentlemen's supper, than for a dinner-service. A block of clear ice is best: snow-ice, or that which is opaque and full of air-holes, melts more quickly than clear ice. Make a slight hollow in the upper surface of the ice, and lay the deep half-shells containing the oysters in this cavity; place the block of ice on a dish large enough to contain all the water from the melting ice, and then at once serve the oysters on the block of ice. When there are many guests, a block of ice may be surrounded by unopened oysters, and several layers of the shell-fish placed upon the top: this necessitates the opening of the oysters at the table, an operation difficult to accomplish unless one is an expert at "stabbing" the oysters, or prying open the shells, without pounding off the edges. The oysters might be partly opened, care being taken not to lose their liquor, and then packed around and upon the block of ice, with their deep shells undermost: the opening would then be a comparatively simple matter. Of course, this service of oysters necessitates an ample supply of napery, and sometimes an entire change of the table-linen. OYSTERS IN ICE. A caterer's device for serving raw oysters at a dinner of sixteen persons may be noted. Hollow shapes had been frozen to represent apples made of ice, the upper half movable and lifted by a stem; the oysters were placed in the lower section of the apple, which was set on a small doily laid on a plate: a few bits of parsley made a pretty garnish. The objection to this method of icing the oysters was, that the melting of the ice- apple plunged them in a bath of ice-water; while the hollow at the bottom of the interior of the apple collected the oysters in a wet mass. They lost not only their natural flavor, but also their individuality: one of the excellences of the service on the half-shell is that each bivalve reaches the consumer in its legitimate habitat, and surrounded by its own distinctive liquor. When half-shells are not obtainable, the fancy oyster -plates might be iced by being left for an hour or longer in the ice-box, so that they would speedily cool the oysters placed upon them; or a thin film of ice might be frozen over them, by exposing them to a freezing temperature with a little water in each one: this, however, would make the oysters watery as the ice melted. A third method of icing oysters is given in the next recipe. COLD CANNED OYSTERS. When it is impossible to obtain fresh oysters for the half-shell service before dinner, a partial substitute may be made from canned oysters, by carefully following the details of this recipe. The oysters will be most presentable if served on the fancy oyster -plates which imitate the shells; and they must be absolutely cold. From a can of fine oysters select the largest and fattest; see that no bits of shell adhere to them, and drain them on a sieve; put their liquor over the fire with an equal quantity of vinegar and enough hot water to cover the oysters, and let the broth thus made boil, removing all scum as it rises. When the broth is quite free from scum, throw the oysters into it, and watch them closely; the instant they become full and plump, skim them out of the broth, and again lay them on the sieve to drain. A very little time will suffice to make the oysters plump: if they are allowed to cook until they shrivel, they will be spoiled for this dish. As soon as the oysters are placed on the sieve, cover them with a cloth wet in cold water, and let them cool; when they are entirely cold, arrange them on the fancy oyster -plates, and serve them cold, with lemon and brown bread and butter. LITTLE-NECK CLAMS ON THE HALF-SHELL. Choose fresh small Little-Neck clams, of even size; wash the shells with plenty of cold water; and, just before serving them, open the clams like raw oysters, leaving each clam in one of the shells with its liquor, after entirely loosening it from the shell. Arrange half a dozen clams on a plate, as half-shell raw oysters are arranged; put a piece of lemon on each plate, and serve the clams at the beginning of dinner, as half-shell raw oysters are served; send thin brown bread and butter to the table with them. The fresh raw clams are an excellent tonic and appetizer; and their fresh liquor is a more valuable stimulant for invalids than beef-tea, as made according to usual methods or from meat extracts. CHAPTER II. SOUPS (Potage). SOUP STOCK. THE same general directions in regard to boiling, clarifying, and coloring soup-stock, will apply to the making of any clear soup or bouillon: the difference is in the ingredients used, and the flavor which results. Ordinary stock may be prepared in about three hours; but when a gelatinous stock is desired, the boiling must be continued for five or six hours in order to extract the gelatine from the bones. While the gelatine thickens soup, it does not add to its nutriment; and unless the soup-kettle is kept very closely covered while the stock is boiling, much of its flavor and some of its substance will escape with the steam during long-continued boiling. To make stock for an ordinary clear soup, use beef cut from the neck or leg, including a marrow-bone; allow a pound of meat and bone for each quart of stock. Trim off any defective parts, and wipe the meat with a wet towel; cut the meat from the bone in rather large pieces, so that it may be used for hashes or potted meat; there is still some nourishment remaining in it after the soup is made, and it retains a pleasant flavor from the vegetables and seasoning used in the soup; it is only the beef remaining from beef-tea which has little food value or flavor. After the meat is cut from the bones, have the bones broken in rather small pieces, and lay them in the bottom of the soup-kettle; put the meat on the bones, and add cold water in the proportion of one quart of water to one pound of meat and bone; set the kettle over the fire, cover it, and heat its contents until they boil, removing all scum as it rises; the scum is composed of blood and albumen, and is to be saved to add to any thick brown soup or gravy because it is nutritious; the object of removing it in making stock is to leave the broth clear; a little salt added while the scum is rising will hasten the operation. While the stock is being thus freed from scum, prepare the vegetables as follows: To four quarts of stock allow one medium-size carrot scraped, one medium-size turnip peeled, one medium-size onion peeled, without cutting the top or root close, or breaking the layers apart; stick into the onion a dozen whole cloves; wash one medium-size root of parsley with the stalks and leaves attached, lay the leafy part in the palm of the left hand, in the midst of the leaves place a dozen whole peppercorns, a small blade of mace, a small bay-leaf, and one sprig of any dried sweet herb except sage; if celery is in season, one of the smaller green stalks or about half a dozen of the green leaves may be added; and then the parsley root and leaves wrapped around the other seasonings, and the little bunch tied compactly with cord. After all the scum has been removed from the stock, put in the vegetables, together with two teaspoonfuls of salt, and replace the cover of the soup-kettle. Let the stock boil gently for two hours or longer. If the kettle is placed so that the heat strikes it from one side, causing the stock to boil from one side, the soup will be clearer after it is strained than if the boiling is taking place in all parts of the kettle at once. When the stock has boiled the desired length of time, lay a folded clean towel in a colander set over an earthen bowl or jar large enough to hold the stock; take up the meat, and set it aside to use in any dish of the nature indicated above; the vegetables may be chopped and combined with some of the meat in the form of a hash, which should be highly seasoned. Pour the stock through the towel, letting it run through without stirring or squeezing it to disturb the little sediment which will remain upon the towel; when all the stock has run through the towel, remove the colander, put a sieve or a piece of cheese-cloth over the bowl or jar, to protect the stock, and let it cool. If a close earthen or metal cover were used, the steam from the hot stock would condense upon its inner surface, and partly sour; falling back into the stock, it would deteriorate the whole. When the stock is entirely cold, the fat which forms on the surface in a cake can be removed, and both the stock and the fat clarified in accordance with the recipes given below. CLEAR SOUP OR CONSOMMÉ. When the stock is quite cold, remove the fat from the surface; for each quart of stock, allow the white and shell of one egg, and a tablespoonful of cold water; put these ingredients into a saucepan, and mix them together, then pour in the stock; set the saucepan over the fire, and heat its contents gradually, stirring occasionally to prevent the egg sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Allow the stock to heat and boil gently; the albumen of the egg will entangle all the cloudy particles floating in the stock, and thus clarify it; let the stock boil until it looks perfectly clear under the egg, that will rise and float upon the surface in the form of a thick white scum, under which the stock will show a clear amber color; when it has boiled long enough to insure this appearance, pour it into a folded towel laid in a colander set over an earthen bowl; let the soup run through the towel without moving or squeezing it. The soup will be perfectly clear, and of a delicate amber color, if these directions are carefully followed: it may then be salted to taste, and served. Clear soup should never be dark in color like bouillon or broth : if too light, a very little caramel may be used to darken it. After the soup is clarified, if there is any fat floating upon the surface, lay one piece of paper after another upon the top, removing each one as it becomes saturated with grease; use any soft absorbent paper, the ordinary white wrapping-paper used for tea being the most serviceable. All thin soups should be entirely free from fat, and the paper must be used to remove it: the most careful skimming will not accomplish this result. THE CLARIFYING OF FAT. Put the fat in a saucepan, with water enough to float it; set the saucepan over the fire, and let the water boil; then pour both water and fat into an earthen bowl or jar, and let the fat cool upon the surface of the water; when the fat is cold, it can be lifted from the surface of the water, the sediment which forms on the under side can be scraped off, and it will then be ready to use. Clarified drippings are excellent for frying vegetables, and for warming with hash and minced cold meats. CARAMEL. Put a heaping tablespoonful of brown sugar on a frying-pan over the fire, and stir it until it is dark brown, and begins to smoke; at once begin to add water, a tablespoonful at once, stirring constantly, until enough has been added to quite dissolve the burnt sugar; then strain the caramel through a cloth, let it cool, and bottle it. The bottled caramel will keep a long time; a few drops added to soups, sauces, gravies, or jellies, gives them a rich amber color, without imparting any perceptible taste. BOUILLON. To make stock for bouillon, proceed as directed in the recipe for clear soup stock, adding to the ingredients there specified, for four quarts of stock, a three-pound fowl dressed and trussed for boiling, and about a pound of veal bones. Boil, cool, and clarify the stock as directed in the recipe. If when the bouillon is clarified it is not dark brown, color it with a little caramel. The fowl can be taken up when it is tender, and used for salad or croquettes. CLEAR SOUP WITH ROYALE PASTE. Into clear soup, made as directed in the proper recipe, put, for each quart, half a cupful of little strips of royale paste made as follows: Beat together the yolks of four raw eggs, a gill of clear soup, and a palatable seasoning of salt and grated nutmeg; put the custard thus formed into a shallow dish well buttered, using such size as to make the custard about an eighth of an inch thick; place the dish in a pan of warm water, and steam the custard over the fire or in the oven until it is firm; then cool it, cut it in little strips, put it into the soup, and serve it at once. SPRING SOUP WITH VEGETABLES. To two quarts of consommÉ or bouillon add a half-pint of vegetables such as carrot, turnip, and Jerusalem artichoke, cut in small dice, cylinders, or cubes after they are peeled, and a gill of any green vegetable boiled until tender in salted boiling water; as soon as the vegetables are tender, and before they begin to break at all, drain them from the boiling water, throw them into cold water, and after they are cold, and their color is set, add them to the soup, which should be boiling hot, and then serve it. The large vegetables may be turned or cut with any of the small vegetable scoops shown in the proper illustration; the green vegetable, such as lettuce, green cabbage, celery or spinach leaves, or sorrel, should be cut in shreds, and boiled as directed above, before putting it into the soup. CASE OF VEGETABLE CUTTERS. The accompanying cut shows a case of cylindrical vegetable cutters, made of tin, the smallest being withdrawn from the case; the tubes are used for cutting various garnishes and salad vegetables, and for making little rounds of pastry and bread to be fried for garnishes; the medium sizes are useful for taking out the cores of fruit, and the smallest for cutting small pieces of vegetables for soups. Vegetables cut with these cylinders are shown in another illustration. Case of Vegetable Cutters or Cylinders. Illustration of a case of cylindrical vegetable cutters made of tin. OX-TAIL SOUP. Cut an ox-tail in pieces about an inch long, wash it well in plenty of cold water, put it over the fire in fresh cold water enough to cover it, and let it slowly reach the boiling-point; then drain and dry it, roll it in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, put it over the fire in a saucepan containing two tablespoonfuls of butter made smoking hot, and brown it; while the ox-tail is being browned, peel and cut in small dice a carrot, a turnip, and an onion; when the ox-tail is brown, add the vegetables to it, together with three quarts of boiling water and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and boil the soup slowly for three hours, keeping the saucepan covered; then add a tablespoonful of any good table-sauce, and serve the soup. If, when the soup is done, it is not as thick as ordinary cream, make it so by boiling with it a little browned flour; if it is too thick, thin it with a little boiling water; see that it is palatably seasoned, and serve it. MOCK TURTLE SOUP. Thoroughly wash a fresh calf's head; cut off the skin without mangling it, so that the best parts may be reserved for different dishes after it is boiled in the soup- stock; cut out the tongue whole, and take out the brains without breaking them. Full details of this operation have already been published in several of this author's works, and any accommodating butcher will perform it carefully for a customer. After the head is skinned, have it split so that the different passages and mouth can be thoroughly cleaned, and then wash the entire head in plenty of cold water. Put the bones of the head in the bottom of the soup-kettle, lay the skin and tongue upon them, cover them with cold water, and place the kettle over the fire where its contents can slowly reach the boiling-point; remove all scum as it rises, and when the stock is clear put in a carrot, a turnip, and an onion peeled, a bouquet of herbs made by tying together a handful of parsley, a bay-leaf , a stalk of celery, a sprig of any sweet herb except sage, a dozen whole cloves, and peppercorns, or a small pod of red pepper. Cover the kettle, after adding a tablespoonful of salt, and boil the soup gently for two hours; then take out the head and tongue, and wrap them in a wet cloth, and continue the boiling for four hours, keeping the kettle closely covered to prevent the evaporation of the soup-stock. When it is done, strain it and cool it as directed in the recipe for clear soup-stock. When the stock is cool, take off the fat; cut the thinnest parts of the head in small dice; make some egg-balls as directed in the proper recipe; allow half a cupful of egg-balls and a cupful of calf 's head for each quart of soup; for each quart mix together over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they brown; then gradually stir in a quart of stock; when the soup is quite smooth, and begins to boil, add the egg-balls and calf's head; put a glass of Madeira and the juice of half a lemon, or half a lemon sliced , into the soup-tureen; see that the soup is palatably seasoned, pour it into the tureen, and serve it at once. The best parts of the calf's head may be broiled, fried, or stewed, and the tongue and brains served boiled, with some sharp sauce; the tongue alone may be served boiled with any kind of boiled "greens;" and the brain made into fritters or croquettes. BROWN TURKEY SOUP. Use for this soup the carcass of a cold roast turkey; cut all the scraps of meat from it, and mince them fine; mince also any bits of heart, liver, or gizzard which may be available; put two tablespoonfuls of butter in the soup-kettle, and set it over the fire to get smoking hot; peel and slice an onion, and when the butter is hot add the onion to it, together with the minced turkey-meat and any cold stuffing on hand, and let all these ingredients brown together; when they are brown, stir among them two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, and let that brown; then pour in four quarts of boiling water, add two teaspoonfuls of salt and a level saltspoonful of pepper; stir the soup thoroughly, put in the carcass of the turkey without breaking it, cover the soup-kettle, and let the soup cook slowly for at least two hours; then remove the carcass of the turkey, and serve the soup hot with all the other ingredients in it. A glass of wine poured into the tureen containing the soup is a great addition to it when the flavor of wine is liked; but the soup is excellent without it. CHICKEN SOUP. Carefully pluck all the feathers from a fowl weighing about four pounds; singe off the hairs with a piece of lighted paper, or a tablespoonful of alcohol poured on a plate and lighted with a match; then wipe the fowl with a wet towel, cut off the head and feet, and draw it without breaking the intestines. If the fowl is carefully drawn, there will be no necessity to wash it, and thus its flavor will be preserved. Peel and slice a small onion, and fry it brown in the bottom of the soup-kettle, with a tablespoonful of butter; then put the fowl into the soup-kettle, and turn it about until it is slightly browned. Next pour over it four quarts of cold water, add a level tablespoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, a head of celery washed in cold water and then cut in half-inch dice, and one blade of mace. Cover the soup-kettle, and let its contents boil slowly until the chicken is tender. Meantime scald the head and feet of the fowl, scrape the skin off them, and cut off the beak and toes; cut the neck into half-inch pieces; clean the gizzard and heart, and remove the all from the side of the liver, and chop them in small bits; when all these parts of the fowl are prepared, put them into a frying-pan containing a tablespoonful of smoking hot butter, and fry them brown, then put them into the soup-kettle; pour a cupful of hot water into the pan in which they were fried, stir it well about, and then pour it into the soup. When the fowl is tender, take it out of the soup, and use it as directed in the recipe for chicken salad or for chicken croquettes; set the soup-kettle where the rest of its contents will cook slowly until wanted for the table, taking care to keep it closely covered to prevent evaporation. When ready to use the soup, add to it two tablespoonfuls of any good table sauce, and serve it without straining it, after removing the head and feet. PURÉE SIEVE. The sieve shown in the accompanying cut is made of perforated tin, or very strong wire netting, set in a stout wooden frame, nearly in the centre. An ordinary flour -sieve is not strong enough to permit the hard rubbing that is required to force a purÉe or pulp through the sieve. A PurÉe Sieve and Masher. An Illustration of a PurÉe Sieve and Masher. very fine colander will serve for the purpose of making ordinary purÉes; especially the kind made with solid sides and a bottom of perforated tin. CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP, OR POTAGE à LA REINE. To three quarts of clear chicken broth, add half a cupful of rice, and boil it until the rice can be rubbed through a sieve with a potato-masher; then return the broth and rice to the saucepan, add enough hot milk to make them the consistency of cream, season them palatably with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and as soon as the soup is hot serve it, as it grows too thick by standing. CREAM OF ASPARAGUS. When asparagus is used, the tough part of the stalks can be boiled until they are tender enough for the pulp to be rubbed through a sieve with a potato-masher : a cupful of the pulp will make a quart of soup if the directions here given are followed. For a quart of soup, put in a saucepan over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they are smoothly blended; then gradually stir in a pint of milk, and enough of the water in which the asparagus was boiled to make a soup about the consistency of cream; to this add a cupful of the asparagus pulp prepared as directed above, stirring it smoothly with the soup; let it boil once, season it palatably with salt, white pepper, and a very little grated nutmeg, and draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, where its contents cannot boil; beat the yolk of a raw egg to a cream with a little of the soup, and then stir it with the rest of the soup, and serve it at once; if the soup boils after the egg is added, it will curdle. ONION SOUP. Peel two of the large Valencia onions which are sold in the fruit-stores, slice them, put them into a saucepan with four tablespoonfuls of butter, and brown the onions slightly over a moderate fire; meantime, peel and slice a large white turnip, and wash and chop a head of celery; when the onions are browned, add the turnip and celery, together with two quarts of any broth from boiled meat, or one quart each of milk and water; season the soup palatably with salt and white pepper, and boil it gently until the vegetables are tender enough to rub through a sieve with a potato-masher. The broth in which the vegetables are boiled is to be saved; put a tablespoonful each of butter and flour over the fire in the saucepan, and stir them until they bubble; then gradually stir in the broth and vegetable pulp, see that the soup is palatably seasoned, let it boil for a moment, and then serve it hot. CELERY SOUP. Pick over a cupful of rice, wash it in cold water, drain it, and put it over the fire in three pints of boiling water; wash and cut in half-inch bits two cupfuls of the white stalks of celery, add it to the rice, with a teaspoonful of salt, and boil them together gently for an hour, taking care that there is always water enough to prevent burning. Then rub the rice and celery through a sieve with a potato-masher, return them to the saucepan in which they were boiled, set it over the fire, add to them two quarts of hot milk, or enough to make the soup about the consistency of thick cream; use a palatable seasoning of salt and white pepper, and a very little nutmeg, and stir the soup until it boils; then serve it at once. CREAM OF FRESH MUSHROOMS. Carefully wash and peel a quart of fresh mushrooms, boil them in a quart of boiling water until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve with a potato-masher; then stir them into two quarts of cream soup made as directed in any of the recipes for cream soup, or as follows: Put into a thick saucepan two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and stir them together until they begin to bubble; then gradually stir in a quart each of hot milk and boiling water, adding them to the butter and flour, half a cupful at a time, and stirring this quantity in smoothly before adding more. When the milk and water have been all used, season the soup palatably with salt, white pepper, and grated nutmeg; stir into it the purÉe or pulp of mushrooms, let it boil once, and then serve it. CREAM OF CAULIFLOWERS. Trim the outer leaves from a fresh cauliflower, thoroughly wash it in plenty of cold water, and lay it with the flowerets down in a large pan of cold water containing a handful of salt; occasionally shake the cauliflower about in the water, to free it from the little insects which are lodged among the flowerets. After it is quite clean, put it over the fire in a large saucepan half full of salted boiling water, and boil it steadily for twenty minutes, or until the stalk is tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork, but do not boil it long enough to cause the flowerets to break off. When the cauliflower is tender, drain it, cut it apart in even-size branches, and lay the finest ones in cold salted water; put the small ones and the stalk into a colander, and rub them through it with a potato-masher; about a cupful of this cauliflower purÉe will be required for two quarts of soup. Next put two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour over the fire in a thick saucepan, and stir them until they bubble; next gradually stir in a quart of boiling water, and then a quart of hot milk, adding them by degrees, and stirring the soup constantly to insure its smoothness; when all the water and milk are used, season the soup with two level teaspoonfuls of salt, half a saltspoonful of white pepper, and a very little grated nutmeg; mix the mashed cauliflower into the soup, let it boil once, and serve it. If the soup is not used as soon as it is done, place the saucepan containing it in a bain-marie, or a dripping-pan half full of boiling water, and set the pan on the back of the fire, where the soup will keep hot without burning; if by standing, it grows thicker than thick cream, thin it before using it with a little hot milk, and add a very little more seasoning. Directions for using the rest of the boiled cauliflower will be found among the recipes for cooking vegetables. BAIN-MARIE. The bain-marie, or salt-water bath, is one of the greatest of kitchen conveniences: it is a deep iron or copper pan, partly filled with salted water, the temperature of which can be raised higher than that of fresh water, and placed upon the back of the fire, to contain saucepans whose contents Bain-marie, or Salt-water Bath. Illustration of a Bain-marie or Salt-water Bath. require heating without boiling; by increasing the heat, cooking can be done in a bain-marie. Small saucepans or tin pails are set in the water -bath to keep their contents hot after they are ready for the table. A card placed upon the handle of a saucepan indicates its contents without the trouble of removing the cover. A primitive bain-marie can be made with a dripping-pan and several small tin pails, or even empty tin cans. Soups, sauces, vegetables, and ragoûts can be kept hot in this way without deteriorating. TOMATO CREAM SOUP. Peel and slice one quart of fresh tomatoes, or use a can of tomatoes; pick over half a cupful of rice, and wash it well in cold water; rub two tablespoonfuls of butter to a smooth paste with one tablespoonful of flour; put the tomatoes over the fire in a soup-kettle with one quart of cold water, and let them heat gradually; when they are hot, add another quart of cold water, and when this boils, put in the rice, a saltspoonful of pepper, and two teaspoonfuls of salt, and continue the boiling until the rice is tender, but not broken; then stir in the paste of butter and flour, a saltspoonful of soda, and a pint of milk, or enough to make the soup as thick as cream; let the soup boil for a few moments, in order to thoroughly cook the flour, and then serve it at once. STRING-BEAN SOUP. Remove the strings from a pint of beans , cut them in small pieces, wash them in cold water, and then boil them in salted boiling water until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve with a potato-masher. After the beans are prepared in this way, put over the fire in a clean saucepan two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and stir them until they are smoothly blended; then gradually stir in two quarts of boiling water; when the white soup thus made is boiling, put in the beans , prepared as already directed; season the soup with two teaspoonfuls of salt, half a saltspoonful of white pepper, and the least dust of cayenne pepper; let it boil once, and serve it. GREEN-PEA SOUP. Make this soup of small green peas and the broth in which a chicken has been cooked. To prepare it, first carefully pick and singe a chicken, wipe it with a wet towel, draw it without breaking the intestines, and truss it to keep it in shape while boiling. Put it over the fire in a saucepan containing sufficient boiling water to cover the chicken; remove all scum as it rises, and when the broth is clear add a tablespoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of white pepper; cover the saucepan closely, and simmer the chicken very slowly until it is tender. Meantime shell a quart of green peas, boil them tender in salted boiling water, then drain them and put them in cold water; mix to a smooth paste two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour. When the chicken is tender, take it out of the broth; reserve it for some other dish; drain the peas, and pour them into the broth with the flour and butter, stirring the broth until the flour and butter are dissolved in it, and adding a little water or milk if there is not enough broth to make the soup of a creamy consistency. As soon as the soup boils up, see that it is palatably seasoned, and serve it. OKRA SOUP WITH CRABS. In early summer, green okra pods are abundant and cheap, selling in the large markets at about thirty cents a hundred. Okra is very nutritious, and deserves the attention of housewives who wish to combine variety with economy in serving their tables. To make four quarts of soup, peel and slice two onions, and fry them brown in two tablespoonfuls of sweet drippings or butter; fry with the onions a thin slice of ham, weighing about a quarter of a pound, and a knuckle of veal chopped, or about two pounds of any cheap cut of veal containing plenty of bone; while these ingredients are frying, wash two dozen pods of okra in cold water, and slice them thin, throwing away the stems; when the onions and meat are brown, add the okra to them, with four quarts of boiling water, a small fresh green or red pepper chopped fine, and a palatable seasoning of salt, and simmer the soup slowly for two hours, keeping the pot covered. Meanwhile pick all the meat from six boiled hard-shell crabs, and fry it brown, with a small onion sliced, and a tablespoonful of butter, and peel and slice one dozen medium-sized tomatoes. Four soft-shell crabs, fried in quarters, may be used in place of the hard-shell crabs : add the fried crab-meat and the sliced tomatoes to the soup at the end of two hours, and let the soup simmer slowly for two hours longer, keeping it closely covered to prevent evaporation. If, when the time for cooking the soup has expired, it has boiled away, add sufficient boiling water to increase it to four quarts; remove the bones and any pieces of meat which have not boiled to shreds; see if the seasoning is palatable, and serve the soup hot. OKRA SOUP WITH BEEF. Make this soup according to the directions given in the recipe for okra soup with crabs, substituting four pounds of soup-beef for the veal and ham, and leaving out the crabs. The beef must be taken out of the soup before serving it. Sometimes two dozen fried oysters are added to the soup just before sending it to the table. When green corn is plentiful, a pint of it, cut from the cob, and half a pint of Lima bean s, may be added to the soup half an hour before it has finished cooking. DRIED OKRA SOUP. Pick over a quart of dried okra, wash it in cold water, and soak it over night in two quarts of cold water : be sure that the okra is tender, for if it is tough and full of woody fibre it will be exceedingly unpalatable. The next morning, pluck and singe a tender fowl weighing about three pounds, draw it without breaking the intestines, wipe it with a wet towel, cut it in small joints as for fricassee, and roll the pieces in flour seasoned with pepper and salt. Put a saucepan over the fire with half a cupful of lard, and when the fat is hot put in the chicken, and fry it light-brown: when the chicken is brown, add to it the okra and the water in which it has been soaking, together with enough more water to make four quarts of soup; season the soup palatably with salt and pepper, and cook it gently until the chicken is tender. Meantime remove all bits of shell from a solid quart of large oysters, and strain their liquor; rub to a fine powder a tablespoonful of dried sassafras-leaves , sift the powder through a very fine sieve, and put it into the soup: when the chicken is tender, put in the oysters, together with their liquor: let the soup again heat, and boil for two minutes, and then serve it very hot. In some of the large cities, a powder, made of sassafras leaves and shoots, is sold under the name of gumbo filet: when this is used, it is stirred into the soup at the moment of serving, and no cover is placed upon the tureen, because some cooks consider that it injures the soup to cover it. HAM AND PEA SOUP. For this soup use the bone of a ham which has been cut out before cooking the ham, or one from a cooked ham; put it over the fire with three quarts of cold water and a pint of dried peas which have been picked over and well washed in cold water, and boil the soup slowly for six hours, or until the peas are tender enough to be easily rubbed through a sieve with a potato-masher. After putting the soup through the sieve, return it to the fire to heat, leaving out the ham-bone; season it palatably with salt and pepper, and then serve it with a plate of toast cut in half-inch dice, or with small dice of stale bread fried in smoking hot fat, and laid for a moment on brown paper to free them from grease. DRIED BEAN SOUP. Wash one pound of dried beans in plenty of cold water, pick out all the defective ones, and soak the beans over night in a quart of cold water : the next morning peel and slice one onion, and fry it in the soup-kettle with one tablespoonful of butter or sweet drippings; while the onion is browning, peel and slice one carrot and one turnip, and put them with the onion; add the soaked beans and four quarts of cold water. Boil these ingredients very slowly for four hours, or until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve with a potato-masher : after rubbing them through the sieve, return them to the soup-kettle, together with the broth in which they were boiled, and place the kettle over the fire; rub to a smooth paste two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and stir this paste into the soup until it is entirely dissolved. Season the soup palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil for one minute, and then serve it hot. Bread cut in half-inch dice, and browned in the oven, makes a nice accompaniment for this soup. Yellow split pease may be used in the same way for pease soup. TURTLE BEAN SOUP. Pick over one pint of turtle beans (which are small, black, dried beans ), wash them in cold water, and then put them into cold water to soak over night. At least four hours before dinner put the beans over the fire in four quarts of cold water, heat the water gradually to the boiling-point, and boil the beans gently for about three hours, or until they are tender enough to be rubbed through a sieve with a potato-masher; when they are first set to boil, add to them the following seasonings: one level teaspoonful of dried marjoram leaves, two heaping teaspoonfuls of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper, and one onion peeled and stuck with a dozen cloves. While the beans are being boiled, boil three eggs hard, remove the shells, cut the eggs in small slices or dice, and put them into the soup-tureen; just before serving the soup, slice a lemon, and place it in the tureen; when the beans are quite tender, rub them through a sieve with a potato-masher, and return them to the soup-kettle; rub a tablespoonful each of butter and flour to a smooth paste, stir them with the beans , add enough boiling water to make the soup about the consistency of thick cream, see that it is palatably seasoned, let it boil for two minutes, and then serve it hot in the tureen, with the hard-boiled egg and sliced lemon. A wineglassful of sherry or Madeira added to two or three quarts of the soup will greatly improve its flavor: the wine should not be boiled, only added to the soup just before serving it. OYSTER CREAM SOUP. Carefully free a solid quart of oysters from all particles of shell, and strain their liquor; put the oysters over the fire in their liquor, with enough water to make a quart of liquid, and let them reach the boiling-point; then rub the oysters through a fine sieve with a potato-masher, moistening them with the liquor, and keep them warm; next put over the fire in a saucepan two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and stir them until they bubble; then add a quart of boiling milk, gradually, stirring it quite smooth, and the oyster pulp and liquor; when these ingredients are smoothly blended, if they are thicker than thick cream, add a little more boiling milk, season the soup palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil once, and then serve it with very small crackers or with small fried crusts prepared as directed in the following recipe. FRIED CRUSTS FOR SOUP. Cut thin slices of bread in small even dice, rejecting the crust; put over the fire the frying-kettle half full of fat, and when it begins to smoke throw in the crusts, and fry them golden-brown; take them out of the fat with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, and then use them for serving with soup. OYSTER SOUP WITH EGGS. Use for two quarts of soup one quart of oysters; free them from bits of shell, and drain them from their liquor; add to the liquor a pint of milk, and sufficient water to increase the quantity to about two quarts; place the milk and oyster liquor over the fire, season it with salt and white or red pepper, let it boil for a moment, and remove any scum that may rise; meantime, beat four eggs smoothly with half a pint of milk, and strain them; after the scum has all been removed from the soup, put into it the oysters and the eggs and milk, and stir it constantly until it begins to thicken; do not let it boil, lest the eggs curdle; as soon as it is smooth and scalding hot, serve it. The oysters need so little cooking that the heat of the scalding broth is sufficient to do them properly. SOFT CLAM SOUP WITH TOMATOES. Wash a pint of soft clams in two quarts of cold water until they are perfectly free from sand, and then strain the water through a towel fine enough to retain the sand; cut the hard part of the clams away from the soft portions, and put the latter in a cool place until the soup is nearly done; chop the hard parts of the clams medium fine, put them into a saucepan with the water in which they were washed, a pint of canned or sliced tomatoes, an onion peeled and sliced, a small red pepper, and two teaspoonfuls of salt; cook all these ingredients together very slowly for an hour, and then strain them through a fine colander. After the soup has been strained, put it again over the fire, add to it half a pint of milk, a tablespoonful of butter, four tablespoonfuls of finely powdered cracker-dust , and the soft portions of the clams, and stir it constantly until it boils; let it boil for a minute, see that it is palatably seasoned with salt and pepper, and then serve it hot. CREAM OF FLUKE. The fluke is a large, white-fleshed fish, resembling the flounder in general appearance. Its flesh is firm and sweet, and in its season its price is very reasonable. As several dishes can be made from one fish, the reader's attention is called to the fish recipes which are given elsewhere. To prepare the fish for the soup, cut one-fourth of the flesh away from the bone and skin, reserving the rest for other dishes, and boil it, putting it over the fire in boiling salted water, and cooking it until the flakes begin to separate. Then drain it, and rub it through a sieve with a potato-masher. Allow one cupful of fish for each quart of soup. To make two quarts of soup, put two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour into a saucepan, and set it over a gentle fire; stir constantly until the butter and flour are smoothly blended, then gradually stir in two quarts of hot milk, adding half a cupful at a time, and stirring it smooth before putting in more. When all the milk is mixed with the flour and butter, season the soup with two teaspoonfuls of salt and quarter of a salt-spoonful each of white pepper and grated nutmeg. Next, put in the fish, and stir the soup with an egg-whip until it boils; then serve it hot. Any white-fleshed fish can be used in this way. CRAYFISH SOUP OR BISQUE. Wash fifty live crayfish in plenty of cold water, and put them head first into four quarts of boiling water with a tablespoonful of salt, a carrot scraped and sliced, one turnip and one onion peeled and sliced, one small sprig of parsley with the root attached, a red pepper, and a dozen whole cloves; boil all these ingredients together for twenty minutes; then take out the crayfish, and continue to boil the soup as before; as soon as the crayfish can be handled, break the tails away from the bodies; remove the flesh of the tails entire, and put it by to use presently; put the shells of the tails and the bodies of the crayfish in a mortar, and crush them, and then put them into the soup, and continue boiling it for an hour; reserve the flesh of the tails to put into the soup just before serving it. When the soup has boiled an hour, strain it, pressing the vegetables and crayfish shells with a wooden spoon in a fine sieve to extract all possible color and flavor. Next, mix together over the fire two heaping tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour until they are smoothly blended, and gradually add to them the strained soup, stirring constantly to prevent the formation of lumps; when all the soup has been stirred in, add a gill of cream and half a pint of white wine, put in the crayfish tails, see that the soup is palatably seasoned with salt and cayenne, and serve it at once. BISQUE OF PRAWNS. Put a hundred prawns into two quarts of boiling water, after first washing them in plenty of cold water, and boil them until the shells turn red; meantime, wash two pounds of eels in cold water, cut them in inch pieces, and put them over the fire in sufficient cold water to cover them, together with a gill of vinegar, a level teaspoonful of whole peppercorns, a blade of mace, an onion peeled and stuck with a dozen whole cloves, a sprig of any sweet herb except sage, a small sprig of parsley with root attached, a stalk of celery, and a level tablespoonful of salt; as soon as the prawns are red, put the pot-liquor in which they were boiled with the above-named ingredients, and then take the prawns from the shells; put the flesh of the prawns aside until the soup is nearly done, add the shells to the other ingredients, cover the soup-kettle, and boil until they are reduced to a pulp; then strain the soup through a towel laid in a colander; put two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour in a saucepan, and stir them over the fire until they bubble; then gradually stir in the strained soup, about half a cupful at a time, until a creamy soup is made; add the flesh of the prawns to this, season it palatably, put with it about a gill of Sauterne, let it heat to the boiling-point, and then serve it hot. If prawns are not plentiful, some lobster flesh may be shredded and used for the soup. LOBSTER SOUP. Plunge a large lobster, or two of medium size, into a large pot half full of boiling salted water, and boil it until the shell is quite red; then take it from the water, cool it until it can be handled, and remove the flesh from the shell, rejecting the soft fins which lie close to the body under the legs, the stomach, which is enclosed in a rather hard membrane back of the eyes, and the intestine which runs down the middle of the tail, and saving all the coral and green fat; cut the flesh of the lobster in small pieces; put over the fire a saucepan containing two heaping tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and stir them until they bubble; then gradually add three quarts of boiling water, stirring it until the soup is very smooth; then add the lobster, prepared as already directed, season the soup rather highly with salt and red pepper, let it boil for two or three minutes, and then serve it hot. CRAB SOUP. For two quarts of soup use a cupful or half a pint of crab meat, removed from the shell, or canned crab meat; put in a saucepan over the fire two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and stir them together until they are smoothly mixed; then stir in gradually one quart each of hot milk and water, making the soup perfectly smooth by stirring it; season the soup rather highly with salt, white pepper, and cayenne; put in the crab meat and one glass of sherry; let the soup boil once after adding the crab meat, and then serve it. TERRAPIN CLEAR SOUP. Refer to the recipes for cooking terrapin; save the water used in boiling the terrapin, and after they are dressed put their shells, broken up, into the water, and boil them for six hours; then add enough stock of bouillon or consommÉ to doubly cover them, and again boil them until they begin to soften. After that cool and clarify the broth thus made, season with salt, cayenne, and Madeira, and serve it clear. HOW TO KILL GREEN TURTLE. The large size of a green turtle often makes its use inconvenient in a private family; but if the fish -dealer kills it and Green Turtle; the Calipash or Upper Shell. An Illustration of a Green Turtle. cuts it up, it may be divided among several, at a proportionate cost which will be comparatively small. A turtle is killed by cutting the throat or cutting off the head, after first tying the fins to prevent struggling, and then hanging its head downward, or laying it upon a table, with a tub under the head to catch the blood: it is allowed to remain over night, and the blood is saved for making sauces for the different dishes of turtle. In the morning lay the turtle on its back, cut off the under shell without cutting into the intestines, and carefully remove Green Turtle being bled; the Calipee or Under Shell. An Illustration of a Green Turtle lying on its back on a table with its neck slit open. the eggs and liver; the gall, which is a dark green bag embedded in the liver, must be very carefully cut out without breaking it, because a drop of the bitter fluid would ruin any part of the turtle with which it might come in contact; after the gall is removed, the liver is to be laid in cold water, as are all the different portions of the turtle, as soon as they are cut off the shell; the under shell should be cut in pieces about four inches square, and divided with the flesh of the turtle, because, after long-continued boiling, parts of it become the semi-gelatinous substance called by many cooks the green fat; the green fat proper is a soft substance, dark bluish-green in color, which lies about the intestines and in the sockets of the legs where they join the body; it is abundant when turtles are in good condition, and should be impartially divided, as it is considered a great delicacy; the upper shell is to be cut up to boil with the turtle to make stock. The liver, eggs, and green fat are to be kept in cold water until the soup- stock is being prepared, then boiled in it until tender, and afterward wrapped in a wet cloth until they are wanted for the various dishes made of the turtle. HOW TO BOIL GREEN TURTLE. For every four pounds of turtle flesh and shell allow a gallon of cold water; put them over the fire together with an even weight of veal bones, or of calf's head or feet, a tablespoonful of salt, and one carrot, one turnip, one onion peeled and stuck with a dozen cloves, and a bouquet of parsley, sweet herbs, mace, and peppercorns; remove all scum as it rises, keep the kettle closely covered, and boil its contents gently; as fast as any portion of the turtle becomes tender, take it up, cool it, wrap it in a wet cloth, and put it in a cool place until it is wanted for making any of the dishes for which recipes are given. Continue to boil the bones and shells for five or six hours; and then strain the stock, and put it by for the soup and sauces. The dark under shell is to be boiled until tender, and then saved for the soup, to which it is added after being cut in half-inch dice. GREEN TURTLE SOUP-STOCK. Prepare the turtle as directed in the two preceding recipes. To make the stock for the soup, put the pieces of shell over the fire with sufficient boiling water to cover them, and boil them for two or three hours, or until the outer edges of the shell are soft; if the water boils away, add more, always keeping the shells covered. Then cut the soft parts of the shells into pieces about half an inch square, lay them in an earthen bowl, cover them with a wet napkin, and keep them in a cool place until wanted. Then put the hard parts of the shell again into the water in which it was boiled; put in also one-eighth of the first weight of the turtle in soup-beef bones, and one-sixteenth of the weight in the bones of veal, or of calf's feet and head cleaned as directed in the recipe for skinning calf 's head for mock turtle soup. On top of these ingredients lay the neck and fins of the turtle, and the cushions or rounded muscles at the top of the turtle fins, unless part of the latter is to be reserved raw for broiling as turtle steaks; add sufficient water to cover all, and two heaping tablespoonfuls of salt, and let all boil gently for about two hours, or until the bones of the fins separate easily from the flesh; remove any scum which may rise, and keep the soup-kettle closely covered. When the fins and cushions are tender, take them out of the stock, separate the flesh from the bones, keeping it in good-sized pieces, and put it aside in a cool place until wanted, in an earthen vessel covered with a wet napkin. Then return the bones to the stock; add to it the proportions usually employed for soup-stock, of carrots, turnips, onions, parsley, sweet herbs, whole cloves, mace, and peppercorns, and boil it gently for five hours, keeping it closely covered. In the stock, boil the liver, eggs, fat, and intestines after they are soaked in cold water; the intestines being turned outward like a reversed glove-finger, and thoroughly scraped and washed. When the stock is boiled, it should be strained until clear, through a folded towel laid in a colander set over a large earthen bowl. All those parts of the turtle which have been cooked and covered with wet napkins should now be placed in bowls, and covered with the strained turtle stock; all of the stock remaining should be saved for soup. GREEN TURTLE THICK SOUP. For each quart of soup brown together, by stirring over the fire, one tablespoonful each of butter and flour; when the butter and flour are brown, gradually add the strained turtle stock, stirring constantly until the soup is smooth; season it palatably with salt and cayenne pepper; add to each quart about half a dozen pieces of green fat, half a cupful each of the tender parts of the shell and the flesh of the turtle cut in inch bits, half a cupful of egg-balls or a few of the turtle eggs, and a dozen forcemeat balls if they are desired; let the soup boil once; then add to each quart a wine-glassful of good Madeira, a tablespoonful of lemon-juice and half a dozen thin slices of lemon, and serve it at once. EGG-BALLS FOR SOUP. Boil one egg hard, separate the yolk from the white, and break the yolk very fine with a fork; add to the boiled yolk the yolk of a raw egg, a tablespoonful of salad-oil, a dust of cayenne, a small half salt-spoonful of salt, and enough flour to permit the paste to be rolled between the palms of the hands in little balls, the hands being slightly flour ed. When all the egg-balls are made, put them into a saucepan half full of salted boiling water, and boil them until they float upon the surface of the water; then take them out of the boiling water with a skimmer, put them into the soup, and serve it. FORCEMEAT-BALLS FOR SOUP. Mince very fine half a cupful of cold chicken, and then rub it through a sieve with a wooden spoon; boil two eggs hard, and rub the yolks through the sieve in the same way; mix with the chicken and hard yolks the yolk of a raw egg, a little salt and pepper, and flour enough to make a paste which can be rolled into little oval balls between the palms of the hands; poach the balls in salted boiling water until they float, and then use them in hot soup. GREEN TURTLE CLEAR SOUP. Proceed as follows to clarify turtle soup-stock made as already directed: For each quart of stock to be clarified allow the white and shell of one raw egg, and one tablespoonful of cold water; mix the shell, white of egg, and water slightly in the bottom of a saucepan; pour the cold stock on them, and set the saucepan over the fire; let its contents slowly reach the boiling-point, stirring them several times to prevent the egg sticking to the bottom of the saucepan; let the soup boil gently until the egg rises to the surface in the form of a thick scum, and the soup appears quite clear under it; then strain it through a folded towel laid in a colander, allowing it to run slowly through without squeezing the towel; if it has grown cool in straining, heat it again, see that it is palatably seasoned, and serve it hot with lemon and wine, as directed in the recipe for green turtle thick soup. The green fat of the turtle, cooked as directed in the recipe for killing a green turtle, is to be heated in boiling water and served in the turtle clear soup. If there is no fat, use in its place some of the soft parts of the shell boiled very soft. CHAPTER III. FISH AND SHELLFISH (Poisson). THE shellfish suitable for the first dinner service, before the soup, have already been mentioned; the rest which are included in this chapter belong properly among the entrÉes, together with the fried, broiled, and scalloped fish. Only boiled and baked fish are appropriate for formal English dinners; frequently the small hot dishes of fried and broiled fish are served at little dinners, as well as at breakfasts, luncheons, and suppers. The service of small fish dishes is essentially Continental, and is both convenient and economical. Terrapin and green turtle are included in this chapter, although they are distinctive enough to be made a separate course at dinner. Madeira is the proper wine for terrapin, and punch is served with green turtle. The limited space for recipes in this volume does not admit of the possible variety in this chapter, any more than in the others; but here, as elsewhere, a sufficient number are given to indicate the great diversity of treatment which food may receive. The directions given for boning, boiling, frying, broiling, or baking any one kind of fish may be applied to any other which has the same general characteristics of size and texture. The very dry-fleshed fish should be served with a sauce: fish which are either watery or very oily are best when cooked with direct exposure to the fire, as in broiling. These hints will serve as guides for more extended practice in the cookery of fish. HOW TO THAW FROZEN FISH. So much naturally frozen or refrigerated fish is used, that some directions concerning it may prove useful. When the fish is taken from the ice, put it into a large tub of cold water, and let it remain until the flesh is flexible enough to cut; when the fish is so far freed from frost as to permit a cut to be made for drawing the intestines, remove them, and put the fish again in the cold water until every particle of frost is extracted, and the fish is perfectly flexible; then drain it, and wipe it dry; cook it according to any chosen recipe. LARGE FISH BOILED IN SLICES. When it is desired to serve an unusually large fish, and the facilities for cooking are limited, the fish may be cut in many slices, as shown in the accompanying engraving, carefully Large Fish boiled in Slices. An Illustration of a Large fish boiled in Slices. boiled, either in a cloth or on the drainer of the fish -kettle, and then so placed upon the dish as to restore the form of the fish. This engraving is copied from Dubois, and represents a sterlet, or small Russian sturgeon. Large salmon, pike, pickerel, or muscalonge, among American fish, may be dressed in this way. The garnish of the sterlet here shown is button mushrooms, truffles, and turned vegetables. Part of a sturgeon may be boiled in slices in this way. BOILED TURBOT WITH LOBSTER SAUCE. The thick gelatinous fins and skin of turbot, and the thick slices of flesh form the middle of the back, are the parts most esteemed by epicures; and therefore in dressing turbot the fins must be retained. Wash the fish thoroughly, using plenty of coarse salt to remove the slime which clings to it as it does to blackfish, and rinse it in plenty of cold water; remove the intestines, and again wash the fish; then put it over the fire in a large kettle, with enough salted cold water to entirely cover it, and let the turbot boil gently about twenty minutes, or until the flesh begins to separate from the bones; the fish must not be overdone. When it is cooked, take it up carefully, garnish it with parsley or lobster, as shown in the cuts which refer to carving it, and serve it with lobster sauce. LOBSTER SAUCE. To make lobster sauce, boil a lobster as directed in the recipe for boiled lobster, and remove it from the shell; rub the coral through a sieve with a potato-masher, and mix it with an equal quantity of butter; for a pint of sauce put a tablespoonful each of butter and flour over the fire in a thick saucepan, and stir them until they bubble; then gradually stir in half a pint each of milk and water; season the sauce with salt and cayenne, color it with the lobster butter, put in a cupful of lobster cut in half-inch pieces, and, as soon as the sauce boils, serve it with the turbot. BOILED HALIBUT. Halibut is an excellent fish for boiling and baking in thick slices; the flesh is firm enough to retain its shape, and its flavor assimilates palatably with any fish-sauce. After washing the halibut in plenty of cold water, put it over the fire in cold salted water, boil it until the flakes begin to separate, and then drain it, and serve it with any good sauce. FRIED HALIBUT. To fry two pounds of halibut, first slice half a pound of fat salt pork, and fry it slowly in a large frying-pan until it is light brown; then take it up, and keep it hot while the halibut is being fried. Wash the fish in cold salted water, dry it on a clean cloth, cover it on both sides with Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry it brown on both sides in the pork-drippings . Serve the pork with the halibut. A very nice gravy may be made for the dish by pouring nearly all the fat out of the frying-pan, after the fish is done, and putting in it a pint of milk mixed smoothly with a level tablespoonful of flour; season the gravy palatably with salt and pepper, stir it constantly until it boils for one minute, and then send it in a bowl to the table with the fried halibut. Halibut is a good fish for broiling in slices, according to any of the recipes given for broiled fish. FLUKE BONED AND BAKED. Thoroughly wash the fish in cold water, lay it on its side on the table, and with a sharp, thin-bladed knife make a straight cut from the middle of the head, down the side, to the middle of the tail, cutting through the flesh down to the bone; then, with the point of the knife, begin to cut the flesh from the bone at the head, lifting it with the left hand as it is cut, so that the edge of the knife may not mangle it, and keeping the knife laid flat and close to the bone until the flesh is cut outward to the fins, and free from the bone from the head to the tail; then cut it off along the line of the fins; this will give one-fourth of the flesh of the fish in the form of a long, narrow strip; cut off the remaining three-fourths in the same manner, and lay the strips, skin down, upon the table. To remove the skin, hold the tail end of one of the strips firmly with the left hand; take the knife in the right hand, and cut down through the flesh of the strip at the end nearest the left hand, until the skin is reached, but do not cut through the skin. When the edge of the knife reaches the skin, begin slowly to turn the knife with the edge outward until the blade lies flat on the skin and against the table; keep the knife in this position, and cut toward the upper end of the strip, taking care neither to turn the edge of the knife upward, as that would send it into the flesh, nor downward, because that would make it cut through the skin. If these directions are carefully followed, the skin can be removed from the flesh without any waste. After the skin is taken off, cut the strips of fish in pieces of even size, about two inches wide and five inches long. Roll up as many of these pieces as are desired, making a little compact roll of each one, and place them side by side in an earthen dish which will just contain them; season them highly with salt and pepper, put a bit of butter about half an inch square on each one, and bake them in a hot oven until the flakes begin to separate; then serve them at once in the dish in which they were baked. Fluke is good either fried or broiled. These directions will serve as a guide in boning any kind of fresh fish. Fish which has been frozen cannot be boned easily, because the flakes are apt to break apart upon the least pressure. BLUEFISH BAKED WHOLE. Choose a medium-sized bluefish; have it drawn from the gills to avoid splitting it; wash it in cold salted water, and stuff it with the following forcemeat : Soak a pint of stale bread in cold water, and squeeze out the water when the bread is soft; meanwhile chop fine a small onion, two tablespoonfuls of parsley, and a teaspoonful of fresh thyme, savory, or sweet marjoram; put these ingredients into a frying-pan with a tablespoonful of butter and the soaked bread, and stir them over the fire until they are smoking-hot. Use this forcemeat for stuffing the fish. On the bottom of a dripping-pan put half a pound of salt pork, cut in slices; lay the fish on the pork, season it highly with salt and pepper, and put it into a hot oven to bake. Let it cook until it is nicely browned, and the skin begins to crack; a medium-sized fish will cook in about an hour. Change the fish from the pan to a hot platter, lay the pork on it, and serve it as soon as it is done. Bluefish is excellent either fried or broiled. SLICES OF FISH BOILED. When a fish is very large, like bluefish, pike, or salmon, and not all is required, portions of it may be boiled in slices of different sizes, and then served. The slices shown in the accompanying picture are about two inches thick; they can Slices of Fish Boiled. An Illustration of slices of fish, boiled, and sitting on a fancy platter garnished with grapes and lettuce. be laid upon the drainer of a fish-kettle to boil, or wrapped separately in pieces of cloth, and then boiled; care must be taken to keep them intact, for if they are broken the beauty of the dish is greatly impaired. After the slices of fish are boiled, they may be served upon a napkin, on a bed of parsley, with some small balls cut from potatoes and boiled, or with any garnish preferred, and sent to the table with any chosen fish-sauce. The larger portions of a cut fish are called, in the French cookery-books, a darne and a tronçon, as shown in engravings subsequently given. SHRIMP OR PRAWN SAUCE. Either of these sauces is excellent for boiled fish. Both shrimp and prawns are now marketed already boiled, and very good prawns are sent from the South in cans; the fish may be used in any of these forms, and are simply added to a good white sauce, just before serving it, in the proportion of a cupful of dressed shrimp or prawns to a quart of white sauce. When fresh shrimp or prawns are used, they are to be freed from bits of sea-grass or weed which may have been used in packing them for transportation, and then boiled in plenty of salted boiling water until the shells turn red. After the fish are boiled, the flesh of the tails is taken from the shells, and it is then ready for use. WHITE SAUCE. For a quart of white sauce, stir together over the fire two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour until they begin to bubble; then gradually stir in a quart of boiling water, and a palatable seasoning of salt and white pepper; stir the sauce until it boils, and then serve it. Substituting milk or cream for part of the boiling water makes cream sauce. Usually a very little nutmeg is employed in the seasoning of cream sauce. BOILED PIKE WITH CAPER SAUCE. Thoroughly clean a pike, drawing the intestines from a small cut near the gills to avoid splitting the fish; fasten the head and tail of the fish together so that it forms a circle, and then lay it on the drainer of a fish-kettle, or tie it in a cloth if it is to be boiled in an ordinary saucepan; cover the fish with cold water, add half a cupful each of salt and vinegar, place the kettle over the fire, and boil the fish gently until a fin can be easily pulled out; then dish it without breaking it, and serve it with a bowl of caper sauce, which is to be made while the fish is being boiled. CAPER SAUCE. Make a pint of white sauce, and let it boil for two minutes; chop two tablespoonfuls of capers a few times, or use them whole; after the sauce has boiled, add the capers, together with a palatable seasoning of salt and white pepper, and then use the sauce. PIKE. Pike is one of the best fish for frying in slices. It is also excellent when broiled. PICKEREL. Pickerel may be cooked like pike, by boiling, frying, broiling, or baking. FRIED BLACKFISH. Clean the blackfish by putting it into cold water after it is scaled, and rubbing it thoroughly with a handful of salt; draw the intestines from the gills, and then again wash the fish in cold water; have ready a frying-kettle half full of fat over the fire, and a plateful of Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper; cut the fish across in slices about an inch thick, trim off the fins and tail, roll the slices in the meal, and then fry them brown in the hot fat; when the fish is done, take it out of the fat with a skimmer; lay it on brown paper for a moment to free it from grease, and then serve it hot. A lemon, cut in quarters, makes a good garnish for fried fish. LARDED FISH. Sometimes fish are larded for baking, as shown in the engraving in the chapter on Carving. A large piece of the skin is removed from the back of the fish, and lardoons are inserted as directed in the recipe for larding fricandeaux of veal; the fish is sometimes stuffed, and generally served with a brown mushroom sauce. The lardoons are protected by buttered paper until the fish is nearly done; then the paper is removed to permit them to brown; the larded fish is served hot. FRIED COD AND HADDOCK. Use equal parts of fresh codfish and haddock; after the fish has been scaled and drawn, split it down the back, cut out the backbone, cut the fish in pieces about two inches square, season it with salt and pepper, and roll it in Indian meal; for three or four pounds of fish, slice a quarter of a pound of salt pork; put the pork into a frying-pan, and brown it; lay the fried pork on a hot dish, and keep it hot; if the pork has not yielded sufficient drippings, put enough lard into the pan to cover the bottom to the depth of half an inch; set the pan over the fire, and when the fat is smoking hot put in the fish, and brown it on both sides; then serve it with the fried pork. Either cod or haddock is excellent boiled or baked. TRONçON OF FISH. A tronçon of fish is a large piece cut from the middle of a large fish, such as cod, salmon, or sturgeon; it is usually boiled, being laid upon the drainer of the fish-kettle, or tied in a cloth, to preserve its form. A tronçon of boiled salmon may be served with any preferred sauce; cucumber, shrimp, and anchovy are among the best fish-sauces. The fish may be laid upon a folded napkin or a bed of parsley. The cuts in the side of the tronçon are simply scores made to keep the skin from breaking unevenly during cooking. Tronçon, or Middle Cut, of Fish. Illustration of a platter of Troncon, or the middle cut of a fish. BOILED BASS. Have the fish carefully scaled, and the entrails removed at the gills; wash it in cold water, and put it into a saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover it, and two tablespoonfuls of salt; set the saucepan over the fire, and let its contents reach the boiling-point, and boil slowly for about five minutes; then try to pull out one of the fins; if it separates readily from the body, take the fish out of the water without breaking it, lay it on a napkin folded on a platter, surround it with half a dozen hard-boiled eggs without the shells, and it serve it with a sauce made as follows:-- HOT MUSTARD SAUCE. While the fish is being boiled, mix together over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, gradually stir into them a pint of boiling water, a level teaspoonful of made mustard, a tablespoonful of chopped pickles or capers, a saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper; stir the sauce until it boils for two minutes, and then it will be ready to use with the fish. Meantime boil six eggs quite hard, remove the shells without breaking the eggs, cut them in quarters, and use them for garnishing the fish. When eggs are high-priced, use only two; boil them hard, chop them, and sprinkle them on top of the fish. BASS. Bass is excellent for baking, frying, or broiling. Any of the recipes for cooking large fish will serve for preparing bass. BOILED SHEEPS-HEAD. Thoroughly clean and wash the fish, rub it all over with dry salt, and soak it in cold water for an hour; then remove it from the water, wipe it dry, score it several times across both sides, and rub it with a lemon cut in halves; lay the sheeps-head thus prepared on the drainer of a fish -kettle, or place it in an ordinary kettle after tying it in a cloth; cover the fish with cold water and milk equally mixed, add a level tablespoonful of salt, and let the fish gradually boil, and then gently simmer for half an hour. In dishing the fish, be very careful to transfer it from the kettle to a platter without breaking it; pour a little of the sauce around the sheeps-head on the dish. Sheeps-head are very good either fried or baked. CREAM SAUCE. Put in a saucepan over the fire four tablespoonfuls of butter and two of flour, and stir them until they are smoothly blended; then gradually stir in a pint of cream or rich milk, a saltspoonful of powdered mace, quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, a dust of cayenne, and a level teaspoonful of salt; let the sauce boil for two or three minutes, and serve it with the boiled sheeps-head. A cupful of chopped boiled lobster is sometimes added to this sauce, or the grated coral of a lobster. REDSNAPPER. This favorite Southern fish, now so common on the Eastern seaboard, may be boiled or baked. WHITEFISH. The large and fine whitefish of the great Western lakes is excellent either boiled, baked, or broiled. DARNE OF SALMON. A darne of fish is a very thick slice of the middle portion; its shape is preserved during boiling by wrapping it in a Darne, or Thick Slice, of Salmon. An Illustration of a platter of Darne, or a thick slice of salmon. cloth, or laying it on the drainer of a fish-kettle. After the fish is boiled, it may be used hot, with a garnish of parsley and any chosen sauce; or may be cooled, and masked or covered with meat-jelly , or any such cold thick sauce as mayonnaise, or Dutch sauce. A second sauce of contrasting color can be used for special ornamentation; for instance, the darne of salmon shown in the illustration may be masked with mayonnaise, and the figures then laid on with lobster-coral smoothly mixed with a little mayonnaise; the little cubes are cut out of aspic jelly. The shellfish laid upon the darne may be a small boiled lobster or a large crayfish; a bunch of fine parsley or watercress may replace the shell fish when it is out of season. BOILED SALMON. Wash two pounds of fresh salmon in plenty of cold water; put it over the fire in plenty of boiling salted water, and boil it rapidly until the flakes begin to separate; then drain it, and serve it with a white sauce made by mixing together over the fire one tablespoonful each of butter and flour until they bubble, and then gradually stirring in a pint of boiling water. Stir the sauce until it boils, season it palatably with salt and pepper, and then serve it with the boiled salmon. ANCHOVY SAUCE. A teaspoonful of anchovy paste mixed with the white sauce will make anchovy sauce, which is an excellent accompaniment for boiled salmon. SALMON. Fresh green peas boiled make a good garnish for boiled salmon. A middle cut of salmon is excellent baked. Slices of salmon may be fried plain, breaded, or rolled in flour, or broiled plain. FRESH MACKEREL FRIED. Have ready on the fire a dripping-pan containing hot fat half an inch deep; have two or three medium-sized fresh mackerel drawn at the gills, but not split; wash them in cold salted water, dry them on a clean cloth, and score them to the bone on both sides, making the cuts about two inches apart; season them with salt and pepper, and quickly brown them on both sides in the hot fat; while they are being fried, chop finely a small onion and about two tablespoonfuls of parsley, and put them over the fish. When the fish are done, serve them on a hot platter with the parsley and onion, and a teaspoonful of melted butter on each fish. A lemon cut in quarters makes a nice garnish for this dish. Fresh mackerel is very good for frying or broiling. SPANISH MACKEREL BROILED. Have a Spanish mackerel split down the back, and the backbone taken out; wash it in cold salted water, and dry it on a clean cloth; put it between the bars of a buttered double wire gridiron, and lay the gridiron in a dripping-pan. Rake all the ashes from the fire, and set the dripping-pan in front of it, where the heat will strike the fish. Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter, mix it with one tablespoonful of onion-juice or vinegar, one teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and use the mixture to baste the fish with while it is broiling. As soon as it is brown on both sides, serve it hot, with the drippings in the pan poured over it. If it is more convenient to broil the fish over the fire, do not put the melted butter and seasonings on it until it is dished. All broiled fish should be quickly cooked, or it will become hard and dry. Broiled Spanish mackerel is also excellent with the butter called maître d'hôtel, which is made by mixing together a tablespoonful each of chopped parsley and cold butter, a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper. Spanish mackerel may be boiled, and served with any good sauce. BROILED POMPANO, CUCUMBER SAUCE. Have the fish scaled, drawn, and thoroughly washed in cold water; score it to the bone on both sides, making three or four cuts across the fish; season it lightly with salt and pepper, place it between the bars of a buttered double wire gridiron, and quickly broil it over a hot fire for about five minutes on each side, or until the flesh begins to cleave from the bones. Serve it on a hot platter, with a tablespoonful of butter spread over it, and a little salt and pepper dusted on it. Pompano is excellent when fried or boiled. CUCUMBER SAUCE. Cucumber sauce is delicious with broiled pompano; it is made by adding a very little juice squeezed from grated cucumber, or the cucumber itself, to a mayonnaise sauce. The cucumber-juice must be used with great caution, because it possesses decided medicinal properties. TO KEEP SHAD OVER NIGHT. Have the shad cleaned, split down the back, and washed in cold water; mix together half a cupful of brown sugar, a tablespoonful of salt, and a saltspoonful of cayenne-pepper; dry the shad on a towel, lay it on a platter, skin down, spread the sugar, salt, and pepper over it, cover it with another platter, and let it stand in a cool place. Before cooking it, wipe off the seasoning with a dry towel, and cook the fish at once. BROILED SHAD. Clean and wash the shad, split it down the back, and take out the backbone; lay the fish between the bars of a buttered wire gridiron, and put the inside over a hot fire; have ready a cup containing two tablespoonfuls of butter melted and seasoned with pepper and salt, and while the fish is being broiled brush it with the butter every five minutes; broil the inside of the shad about twenty minutes, then turn it over and carefully brown the skin, taking care not to burn the fish in any part. As soon as it is cooked lay it, skin down, on a hot dish, pour over it any melted butter remaining in the cup, or spread some fresh butter over it; season it with pepper and salt, and serve it hot immediately. Watercresses , lemon in slices, or cucumbers are the usual garnishes. FRIED SHAD. After the shad is cleaned and washed, split it down the back, cut out the backbone, divide the fish in pieces about three or four inches square, and lay them on a clean dry cloth; have ready a dripping-pan or a large frying-pan containing hot fat half an inch deep; roll the fish in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, put it into the fat when it is smoking hot, and fry it brown on both sides; use a broad spatula or cake-turner to turn over the pieces of shad, in order to keep them entire; as fast as the pieces brown, lift them out of the pan, lay them for a moment on brown paper to free them from fat, and then put them on a hot dish. Fried shad should be served with lemon, pickles, or cucumbers. Shad is excellent either boiled or baked. SHAD-ROE. After a shad-roe is well washed in cold water, wipe it quite dry on a clean towel, put it between the bars of a double wire gridiron thickly buttered, and broil it brown on both sides; when the roe is brown, serve it with butter, lemon-juice, and parsley, or with plain butter, pepper, and salt. A garnish of sliced cucumbers or tomatoes, or a few watercresses, may be served with the broiled roe; and a dish of mashed potatoes should be sent to the table with it. Shad-roe may be fried in enough fat to prevent burning, with a loose cover over the pan to protect the cook from the fat which it spatters about. EELS. To broil eels, have them thoroughly cleaned and washed; split them, take out the bone, and then cut them in pieces about three inches long; make a seasoning with plenty of finely chopped parsley, a palatable quantity of pepper, salt, powdered mace, and very little sage; have ready a couple of eggs beaten smooth, a dish of bread-crumbs, and a double wire gridiron well buttered; dip the pieces of eel first in the egg, then in the bread-crumbs, and then in the seasoning, lay them between the bars of the gridiron, and broil them over a hot fire. While they are being broiled, mix together a spoonful of anchovy paste or chopped anchovies and a tablespoonful of butter, and spread them over the broiled eels; serve the eels hot as soon as they are done. Eels prepared in the same way (or plain) may be fried in hot butter instead of being broiled; or they may be broiled without breading, simply splitting them and laying them in a buttered double wire gridiron, and after they are cooked serving them with salt, pepper, and butter. Eels may be stewed in white sauce, after being parboiled; or baked in a brown gravy. FRIED SMELTS ON SKEWERS. The picture here given shows smelts fried upon skewers. When the fish are clean and fresh, they may be wiped with a wet towel (for some epicures think that their delicate flavor is injured by washing them), and then dried upon a clean one. The frying-kettle, partly filled with fat, should be heating; and a dish of beaten eggs, and another of fine crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper, ready near the fire. First dip the smelts in milk, then lay them in the crumbs, covering every part of them; from the crumbs remove them to the beaten egg, immersing the entire fish, and then again lay them in the crumbs; while they are still in the crumbs, run a sharp, thin nickel or silver skewer through the eyes or gills of four or six, according to their size, taking care not to brush off the crumbs; when the fat is smoking hot, put in one skewerful of smelts, and fry them golden brown; when they are done, take them up with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper in a dripping-pan, and keep them hot on the Fried Smelts on Skewers. An Illustration of Fried Smelts on Skewers. oven-door until all are fried; arrange them on a dish with fried parsley and lemon as a garnish, and serve them hot. BROILED SMELTS. Wash the fish in cold salted water, dry them on a clean towel; dip them in melted butter highly seasoned with salt, pepper, and a dust of cayenne, place them between the bars of a double wire gridiron, and broil them about eight minutes over a hot fire. If the fish are small, they will cook in five minutes. Serve them on a hot dish with a sliced lemon. Instead of dipping the smelts in melted butter, they may be laid between very thin slices of bacon, and broiled, the bacon being served with them. FRIED BUTTERFISH. After the fish have been properly cleaned, wash them in cold salted water, dry them on a clean cloth, make several deep cuts to the bone on each side of the fish, roll them in Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper, and fry them in sufficient smoking-hot fat to prevent burning. Or, slice, for two pounds of fish, a quarter of a pound of fat salt pork, and fry it brown; then roll the fish in flour, pepper, and salt; fry them with the pork, and serve them together. AMERICAN WHITE-BAIT. Use any small fish about two inches long. Wash the fish, dry them on a clean towel, put them into a sieve containing a little flour seasoned with salt and cayenne-pepper, and shake them about so that a little of the flour adheres to them; have ready over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat, and when it begins to smoke throw in the fish, and let them fry for half a minute; then take them up with a skimmer, and serve them at once with brown bread and butter and lemon. The bread should be cut very thin, buttered, and two slices laid together; in this form it is piled on a plate: the slices are cut about an inch wide, and three inches long. OLD STYLE OF FRYING WHITE-BAIT. Have ready a frying-kettle containing at least two inches of fat, and make it hot over the fire; have at hand also a frying-basket of wire; in a clean dry towel, put half a cupful of flour and the white-bait , and shake them together; then put the fish into the wire basket, and shake off all the loose flour. Let a drop of water fall into the hot fat : if it sputters, the fat is right. Put in the frying-basket, and crisp the white -bait, but do not brown them; as soon as they are crisp lift the basket, and throw the white-bait upon a napkin folded on a hot dish; cut a lemon, and put it with them, and serve them with a plate of brown bread cut thin and buttered. TROUT WITH CREAM GRAVY. After the trout have been cleaned and washed, roll them in Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper; put a frying-pan over the fire with enough fat in it to cover the bottom to the depth of half an inch when it is melted, and when the fat is smoking hot put in the trout, and quickly fry them brown all over; when the trout are brown, take them up on a hot dish, and keep them hot. Pour out of the frying-pan nearly all the fat; put a cupful of milk into the pan, and stir it until it boils; if the meal which adheres to the pan makes the milk too thick, add a little more. Let the gravy thus made boil for a minute; season it palatably with salt and white pepper, pour it into a gravy -boat, and serve it with the fried trout. If flour is preferred, it may be used instead of the meal. FRIED TROUT. Clean, wash, and dry small trout; season them with pepper and salt; roll them in dry flour, and then plunge them into enough smoking-hot fat to entirely cover them. As soon as they rise to the surface of the fat, and are light brown, take them up with a skimmer, lay them for a moment on brown paper to free them from fat, and then serve them at once. In the country, trout are usually fried with salt pork. BOILED TROUT. Small trout wrapped in a napkin, boiled in salted water, and served with green peas, are delicious. NEW ENGLAND FISH-CHOWDER. Slice a quarter of a pound of salt pork, and fry it over a gentle fire, using a large, round-bottom iron pot; when the pork is light brown, take it out of the fat which it has yielded in frying, and put it on a plate for future use. While the pork is frying, peel and slice two large onions, and fry them light brown with the pork, removing them from the fat when the pork is taken out. Meantime peel and slice four more large onions; peel ten medium-sized potatoes , and slice them a quarter of an inch thick; cut up five pounds of fresh codfish or haddock in slices an inch thick, removing the bones, and the skin also if it is disliked. Have ready a pound of sea- biscuit or pilot-crackers, and salt and pepper for seasoning. After the pork and onions are taken up, leaving the drippings in the pot, put into it first a layer of fish, next a layer of potatoes , then a layer of the raw onions; season each layer with a level teaspoonful of salt and a quarter of a saltspoonful of ground pepper. Repeat the layers of fish, potatoes , and onions, until one-half the ingredients have been used; then put in one-half the pork and half a pound of the crackers, and season as before. Add the remainder of the fish, potatoes , and onions, in layers, seasoning as already directed, and on the top put the rest of the pork and crackers. Over all these ingredients pour sufficient cold water to reach three inches above the top layer, and cover and place the pot where the chowder will boil gently for an hour; the heat must not be intense, for if the chowder should burn it would be spoiled. At the end of an hour add a pint of milk, let the chowder boil once, and serve it in a soup-tureen, using soup-plates for dishing it. The same kind of crackers used in making it are served with it. When this chowder is made for a party of gentlemen, half a pint of Madeira wine is generally used in place of milk. The Rhode-Island chowder is made without potatoes , and a quart of cider and a pint of port are added to it. CLAM-CHOWDER. Use half a peck of hard or soft clams in the shell. After the clams are taken from the shells, cut the soft parts free, and chop the rest quite fine; put the chopped parts into a deep kettle, with water enough to cover them, and boil them gently until they begin to grow tender; meantime peel and slice two onions, six potatoes of medium size, and a pint of tomatoes; soak a pound of sea-biscuit in milk. When the chopped clams are tender, take them out of the kettle with a skimmer, and put in all the ingredients specified above, in layers, alternating with the clams, and using the soft parts in addition to the chopped clams. Season each layer with salt, pepper, and a little powdered thyme, savory, and sweet marjoram; over all pour enough cold water to entirely cover the chowder. Cover the kettle, and place it over the fire where the chowder will boil gently for about twenty minutes; then see if the potatoes and onions are tender. As soon as they are done, test the seasoning of the chowder; make it palatable, and then serve it. SALT-FISH DINNER. Soak two pounds of salt codfish over night, in cold water, putting the fish into the water with the skin uppermost. The next morning wash the fish, and put it into a large kettle with plenty of fresh cold water; set the kettle on the back of the stove, where the water will keep hot without boiling, and let the fish scald until just before dinner-time; then boil it gently for five minutes, drain it, and serve it with melted butter made as described below, or with pork-scraps . Boiled potatoes and boiled beets are sometimes served with the salt fish, and in the season a dish of boiled parsnips. MELTED BUTTER. This old-fashioned sauce is seldom well made, but it is so excellent that it deserves attention. It should be made about fifteen minutes before dinner-time. Put in a clean saucepan over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they bubble; then gradually stir in a pint of boiling water, a saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and stir the sauce until it is at the boiling point. When the sauce boils, draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, where its contents will keep hot without boiling, and stir into it, one at a time, three tablespoonfuls of butter, taking care that each one is entirely mixed with the sauce before adding another. As soon as the butter is stirred in, serve the sauce in a hot sauceboat. SALT-FISH HASH. Chop cold boiled salt fish fine, after removing all the skin and bones; chop twice as much boiled potato as there is fish; allow a quarter of a pound of fat salt pork for every pound of fish, slice it, and fry it brown in a frying-pan, and then take it up, leaving the drippings in the pan, and keep it hot; put the minced fish and potatoes into the frying-pan, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and stir them until they are hot; then move them to one side of the pan, form them by pressing them together into a cake, let them brown on the bottom, and then turn them out on a hot dish, and serve them with the fried pork. The quantity of pork given will generally yield enough drippings to fry the hash; but if there should not be sufficient, a little butter may be used, only enough to brown the hash. COD'S TONGUES WITH EGG SAUCE. Wash two pounds of salt cod's tongue in cold water, pour lukewarm water over them, and let them remain where the water will retain its heat for two hours or longer; after the tongues have been soaked, put them over the fire in enough cold water to cover them; add a cupful of milk and a small red-pepper pod or a palatable seasoning of cayenne, and cook them slowly for about half an hour, or until they are tender; meantime boil three eggs hard, remove the shells and chop the eggs. Just before the tongues are done, put in a saucepan over the fire a heaping tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them together until they begin to bubble; then gradually stir in enough of the milk and water in which the tongues were boiled to make the sauce sufficiently salt, and more milk to bring it to the consistency of thick cream; put the tongues into the sauce, add the chopped eggs, and then serve them hot. Tongues and sounds are good either fried, broiled, or baked; care being taken to freshen them first. BOILED SALT MACKEREL WITH BUTTER. Either freshen a salt mackerel by soaking it over night in cold water, with the skin up, or by repeatedly heating it in fresh water frequently changed. The fish should be placed, skin upward, flat in a pan large enough to hold it, and covered with cold water, the pan being put over a gentle fire. As soon as the water is scalding hot, it should be poured off and replaced with cold. The fibre of the fish is not hardened by this process; and generally, by the time the fish is fresh enough to use, it is cooked. While the fish is being freshened, make a sauce as directed below; and when the fish is freshened drain it, pour the sauce over it, and serve it. The mackerel may be soaked, then broiled, and served with white sauce or clarified butter, and a dish of boiled potatoes . CLARIFIED BUTTER. Put in a cup or small saucepan four heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and set it in a pan of hot water over the fire where the butter will slowly melt; as soon as it is melted, carefully pour it into a sauceboat, without disturbing the sediment at the bottom, and serve it at once. DRIED SALMON. After the fish has been scaled, split it down the back, remove the entrails, saving the roe; then rub the fish thoroughly with dry salt, and hang it by the gills to drain over night. The next day mix together two ounces each of powdered rock-salt and brown sugar and four ounces of powdered saltpetre; rub this mixture well into the fish, and lay it on a large dish for two days, then drain the fish, rub it thoroughly with dry salt, hang it by the gills, and let it dry. After it is thoroughly dry, it will be ready for use. Dried salmon may be stewed in white sauce, broiled, and served with butter and pepper, or cut in thin strips and served as a relish; or broiled or fried, after it is soaked over night in cold water, or brought to the boiling-point after having been put over the fire in cold water enough to cover it. SALTED SHAD. After the shad have been scaled, split them down the back, clean them, saving the roes, wash them in plenty of cold water, and lay them in a wooden tray or tub, with fine salt sprinkled thickly between the fish; let the fish stand in this salt for two days. Then drain and wipe the shad, again sprinkle them with coarse salt, and pack them away in boxes or tubs. Before using salted shad, soak them over night in fresh water, laying the skin upward. After salt shad has been freshened, it may be baked, boiled, broiled, or fried. DIAMOND-BACK TERRAPIN. The accompanying cut shows a diamond-back terrapin. The short, thick legs are covered with a greenish-black skin; the tail is small and short; the head is thick, and is generally drawn close to or under the shell; the back shell is divided into clearly defined sections, the lines of which converge towards the centre, the centre itself being perceptibly raised and slightly pointed; these points form a series of elevations down the middle of the back, which give the terrapin its name of diamond-back. Diamond-Back Terrapin. Illustration of a Diamond Back Terrapin. HOW TO BOIL TERRAPIN. Terrapin should be alive when brought from the market. Wash them by putting them for half an hour into a tub or large pan half full of clean cold water; have over the fire a large pot half full of boiling water; plunge the terrapin into this, head first, grasping them from the back to avoid the possibility of a bite; let the terrapin boil from five to ten minutes, or until the skin of the claws or legs can be rubbed off with a wet cloth; after this outer skin is removed, put the terrapin again over the fire in sufficient clean boiling water to cover them, with a teaspoonful of salt to each quart of water, and boil them gently until the shells begin to separate at the sides: the length of time will vary. The shells are joined at each side, between the fore and hind claws or legs, with small serrated points, which part slightly when the terrapin are tender; sometimes they are tender in fifteen or twenty minutes, but often a longer time is required for boiling. When the shells of the terrapin can be parted, take them from the boiling water, and let them cool until they can be dressed. HOW TO DRESS TERRAPIN. Loosen the sides of the shells of boiled terrapin as soon as they are cool enough to handle; lift off the top shell, which is held to the spine of the terrapin by small bands of flesh; these are to be pulled or cut apart; then remove the under shell. The entrails of the terrapin lie in a mass with the eggs and liver embedded in them, and the legs are attached to them by crossing bands of flesh; pull off the legs, leaving the flesh attached to them, break off the sharp claws at the extremities of the feet; separate and throw away the head, and put the legs on a dish; carefully remove all the eggs, and put them into a bowl of hot water; separate the liver from the entrails, and cut out that part of the liver which contains the small dark-green gall-bag that can be seen at one side of the liver. The utmost care should be taken to avoid cutting or breaking the gall-bag: in removing it, the liver should be held over an empty dish, and, if the gall-bag is cut or broken, the liver should be thrown away, and the hands washed before the dressing of the terrapin is resumed. After the gall-bag is removed, cut the liver in pieces about half an inch square, and put it with the flesh of the terrapin. Only the flesh, eggs, and liver of terrapin are ordinarily used; old Southern cooks sometimes scalded and scraped the intestines, and added them to terrapin stew. When there are no eggs in terrapin, egg-balls are made to accompany it; a good recipe is given elsewhere. BROWN STEW OF TERRAPIN. For a pint of terrapin meat, put into a saucepan two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter and one of flour, and stir them together over the fire until they are delicately browned; then stir in a pint of the second water in which the terrapin was boiled, or a pint of boiling water. When the sauce is stirred quite smooth, season it with a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful each of pepper and nutmeg, and a dust of cayenne; put the terrapin into the sauce, heat it scalding hot, draw it to the side of the fire, add four raw yolks of eggs beaten smooth, and then at once serve the terrapin in a tureen containing a gill of good Madeira and a tablespoonful of lemon-juice. STEWED TERRAPIN WITH CREAM. For a pint of terrapin-meat, use two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter and one of dry flour; stir them over the fire in a thick saucepan until they bubble; then gradually stir in a pint of cream, a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful each of white pepper and grated nutmeg, and a dust of cayenne; next put the terrapin into the sauce, and stir it until it is scalding hot; draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, where its contents will not boil, and stir in the yolks of four raw eggs previously beaten smooth; do not allow the terrapin to boil after adding the eggs, but pour it at once into a tureen containing a gill of good Madeira and a tablespoonful of lemon-juice, and serve it. GREEN TURTLE. The cuts of turtle copied from Dubois, and given in the chapter on Soups, show the upper and under shell of a green turtle, and one manner of killing it, by laying it upon a sloping table after the throat is cut, and allowing it to bleed; another method is to hang it by the hind fins, with the head down, and so let it bleed. The under shell, or calipee, is of a yellowish-white color; and the upper shell, or calipash, a dark green, almost black. The weight varies from about fifty pounds to over five hundred. Full directions for killing and dressing green turtle are given in the recipe for turtle-soup . GREEN TURTLE FRIED. Cut thin slices of tender, uncooked turtle-flesh , or of cold cooked turtle; roll them in cracker-crumbs, then dip them in beaten egg, and again roll them in crumbs; have ready over the fire a frying-pan containing about half an inch of butter melted, and when it begins to smoke put in the slices of turtle, and fry them light brown; when the slices are fried, lay them on brown paper in a dripping-pan to free them from grease, and keep them hot in the oven until the sauce is made as follows: Pour nearly all the butter out of the frying-pan; stir in half a pint of cream, half a pint of mild tomato catsup, and enough flour or cracker-crumbs to make a sauce of the proper consistency; let it boil for two or three minutes while the fried turtle is being dished with a garnish of sliced lemon or fresh water-cresses ; then pour the sauce into a bowl, and serve the dish. Any other well-seasoned sauce may be used with fried turtle. Tender turtle steaks are very good broiled, and served with any acid jelly. TO PREPARE FROGS' LEGS. The hind-legs of large frogs are the only parts used; the bodies are separated in the middle, and the legs are skinned. The flesh of the legs is white, very tender, and somewhat resembles that of poultry. After the frogs'legs are skinned, wash them well in cold water, put them over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil them for five minutes; then throw them into cold water to cool. This process is called blanching, and must always be done if the flavor is to be considered. After the frogs' legs are blanched, they may be fried or broiled according to any of the recipes for frying or broiling fish, or stewed in a white sauce. BOILED LOBSTER. Choose a live lobster which seems heavy in proportion to its size. Have over the fire a large pot full of boiling water, containing a handful of salt; plunge the lobster head first into the boiling water, which will kill it at once, and boil it steadily for twenty minutes, or until the shell turns red. Take it up, and as soon as it can be handled break off the claws and tail, and carefully remove the soft fins which lie close to the body where the legs join it. An ordinary iron can-opener is very useful in breaking apart the shell of the lobster. After the shell is separated so that the flesh can be reached, save all the green fat and coral, and the white curd-like substance which lies close to the shell; remove all flesh from the claws and body, and cut it in half-inch pieces; split the shell of the tail, remove and throw away the intestine which runs through the centre of the tail, and save the flesh. The lobster will then be ready to dress in accordance with any of the following recipes. SCALLOPED LOBSTER. Prepare a lobster as directed in the preceding recipe, and make a pint of white sauce. Grate a loaf of stale bread. Butter a deep earthen dish thickly, and put a half-inch layer of crumbs on the bottom and sides; then fill the dish with alternate layers of lobster and bread-crumbs, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Just before putting on the top layer, which should be of bread-crumbs, fill the dish with sauce; then add the bread-crumbs, dust them with salt and pepper, and set the dish into a quick oven until the crumbs are brown. Scalloped lobster may be prepared in small dishes of china, or in silver scallop-shells , as shown in the illustration. S CALLOPED LOBSTER IN SHELLS. The accompanying engraving shows shells or coquilles of fish, cooked in silver or china, and served on a stand. The fish may be prepared according to any of the recipes for scalloped or devilled fish, and served either hot or cold. Scalloped Lobster in Shells. Illustration of scalloped lobster in shells. Lobster boiled, removed from the shell, and heated in any good sauce, makes an excellent entrÉe, or luncheon dish. LOBSTER CHOPS OR CUTLETS. Boil a lobster according to the recipe given for that operation; remove the meat, and cut it in small, even dice; save the coral and green fat in opening the lobster; put in a thick saucepan over the fire two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, and stir them until they bubble; then gradually stir in half a pint of milk or cream; add the lobster, together with the coral and fat, and a rather high seasoning of salt and cayenne; stir the mixture constantly until it is very hot; then take it from the fire, and stir in the yolks of two raw eggs, and a glass of sherry or Madeira; put the mixture into a dish to cool. When it is cold, make it up in the form of small chops or cutlets, shaping them with the hands wet in cold water; as the chops are made, lay them in a platter containing plenty of cracker-dust ; put over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat to heat; beat two eggs smooth; dip the chops into the egg, and then lay them again in the cracker -dust. When the fat begins to smoke, put the chops into it, and fry them golden brown; when the chops are brown, take them out of the hot fat with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, put a small lobster-claw in each one, and then serve them garnished with parsley. SCALLOPED PRAWNS OR SHRIMP. Use either prawns or large shrimp, freed from the shells after they are boiled. To a quart of the meat allow a quart of dried bread-crumbs , a gill each of vinegar and tomato-catsup , and two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter. Put these ingredients into an earthen dish in layers, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, making the top layer of crumbs, and bake the dish in a moderate oven for twenty minutes. Serve the scalloped prawns hot, in the same dish in which they were baked. Several small dishes, or scallop -shells, may be used in place of the large dish. SOFT-SHELL CRABS FRIED. To prepare soft-shell crabs for cooking, wash them in cold water, and lay them on their backs on a meat -board or on the kitchen-table. Care should be taken, in buying them, to select those which are fat and plump, and quite alive; and they should be carefully handled to avoid breaking off the claws. Use a small, sharp knife in dressing the crabs; cut a half-circle out of the body of each crab, running the knife-blade just behind the eyes; this removes the eyes and sand-bag; then lift the apron or flap, which lies near the back of the under shell, and cut off the tuft, or hard fin-like portions attached to it, or remove it entirely; press the back shell away from the body, first on one side and then on the other, and take out the tough, fibrous, soft fins; then dry the crabs on a clean towel. Have ready a large platter full of fine dry bread-crumbs or cracker-dust , mixed with a little pepper and salt, and on the stove a frying-kettle or large frying-pan half full of smoking-hot fat; beat two eggs until they are quite liquid; roll the crabs in the crumbs, dip them for an instant in the beaten eggs, taking care not to wash off the crumbs, then roll them again in the crumbs, and put them into the hot fat to fry; they will be done as soon as they are brown all over. Take them out of the fat with a skimmer, lay them for a moment on brown paper to free them from grease, and serve them hot. A lemon, cut in quarters, makes a nice garnish for them, the juice being squeezed over the crabs by those who like it. Sometimes the juice of a lemon is mixed with a tablespoonful of melted butter and a little pepper and salt, and poured over the crabs just before sending them to the table. SOFT-SHELL CRABS BROILED. Dress the crabs as directed in the recipe for soft-shell crabs fried. After drying them on a towel, dip them into melted butter seasoned with pepper and salt, instead of breading them. Put them between the bars of a buttered double wire broiler, and broil them until the shells are bright red and slightly browned. As soon as they are done, serve them hot with melted butter and lemon-juice, or with a lemon cut in quarters. Slices of hot dry toast may be served under the broiled crabs. CRABS SCALLOPED. Boil six ordinary hard crabs until the shells are red, or use an equivalent quantity of crab-meat from large crabs, about a pint of the meat being required; after the crabs are boiled, remove the meat from the shells carefully, rejecting the stomach which lies just back of the eyes, the intestine which is coiled up in the middle of the body, and the soft fins which lie under the legs, and saving the green fat and the curd which lies next the shell. Boil two eggs hard, remove the shells, and chop them fine; grate the rind and strain the juice of a lemon. Put one tablespoonful each of butter and flour in a saucepan over the fire, and stir them until they bubble; then gradually stir in a pint of milk, and let the sauce thus made boil for a moment; season it with a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a dust of cayenne; add the crab-meat, chopped eggs, and lemon. Let these ingredients all heat together, and then put the mixture into scallop-shells , or a dish which can be sent to the table. Dust cracker-crumbs over the tops, brown the scalloped crab in a hot oven, and serve it at once. DEVILLED CRABS. Boil the crabs, and remove the meat from the shells as directed in the recipe for scalloped crabs; add to the meat an equal quantity of bread or cracker crumbs, half a cupful each of Worcestershire sauce and mixed mustard, a level teaspoonful of salt, a saltspoonful of pepper and half that quantity of cayenne, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, and just enough milk to moisten these ingredients so that they can be mixed thoroughly. Fill the crab -shells with this mixture, dust them with cracker-crumbs, arrange them in a dripping-pan, put a small piece of butter on each, and quickly brown them in a very hot oven. Serve them hot or cold. The seasoning of devilled crabs should always be high. KROMESKEYS OF CRAB. Boil three or four large crabs, and remove the meat from the shells as directed for scalloped hard crabs. Make a fritter-batter as follows, and put a frying-kettle half full of fat over the fire to heat: For the batter, mix together a cupful of flour, a saltspoonful of salt, a dust of cayenne, the yolk of a raw egg, a tablespoonful of salad-oil, and enough cold water to form a thick batter. Just before using it, beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth, and stir it lightly into the Kromeskeys of Crab. An Illustration of a plate of Kromeskeys of Crab. batter. Cut as many very thin slices of fat salt pork as there are to be kromeskeys, and smooth them to the thinness of paper, with the back of a knife. Mix with the crab-meat a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, add the yolks of two raw eggs, and enough wine or sauce of any kind preferred to permit the crab-meat to be made up in little rolls, with the hands wet in cold water; wrap the rolls in the slices of pork, dip them into the batter so that they are entirely covered with it, and then fry them golden brown in the hot fat; lay them on brown paper for a moment after they are brown to free them from fat, and then arrange them on a napkin with parsley, as shown in the picture, and serve the kromeskeys hot. MUSSELS. These cheap and excellent shell-fish are generally prepared for market by pickling; but many good dishes can be made from them, for several of which recipes are given elsewhere. The shells of mussels in good condition are dark and bright, and the fish fills them plumply. The edges of the shells are sharp and firmly closed. If they are at all muddy or sandy, they should be laid for an hour or longer in a tub of cold water containing a handful of salt, and then thoroughly washed before they are boiled. To boil mussels, place them in a large kettle, after they are thoroughly washed, with half a pint of water, and set them over the fire until the shells open; the liquor which flows from them should be carefully strained, and kept to use with them. After the mussels are boiled, take them from the shells, carefully remove all the fine filaments attached to the "tongue" or "foot" of the fish, cut off the tip of the " tongue " and the dark, fringe-like edge, or beard, which surrounds the gills; the thread-like filaments are called the "moss," and this is supposed to be more or less poisonous. The office of the moss, or byssus, is to attach the mussel to the rocks or wharves where it is found. It should always be carefully removed before the mussel is dressed, after it is boiled. Some cooks always use a silver spoon in preparing mussels for the table, thinking that it will become blackened if they are unfit for food. Mussels are sometimes eaten raw like oysters; but this is not advisable, because some medical authorities assert that the mussel occasionally contains a poisonous substance which is neutralized by cooking, as is the case with some varieties of mushrooms. Cases of poisoning by mussels yield to intelligent medical treatment. Mussels are good fried, broiled, or stewed in white sauce; they may be pickled like oysters. SCALLOPS FRIED IN INDIAN MEAL. Wash the scallops in cold water, and dry them on a clean towel. While they are being dried, put over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat, and let it get smoking hot; then quickly roll the scallops in Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper, drop them into the hot fat, and fry them light brown; as soon as they are brown, take them up with a skimmer, lay them for a moment on brown paper to free them from fat, and then serve them hot. Slices of lemon served with the scallops greatly improve the flavor and appearance of the dish. If water-cresses are in season, they may replace the lemon. Scallops are excellent when breaded and fried, or fried with salt pork. FRIED SOFT CLAMS. Wash a bunch or pint of soft clams in cold water, to free them from sand, and lay them separately on a towel to dry. Have ready a frying-kettle half full of fat, over the fire, a dish of beaten raw eggs, and a platter of cracker-dust or bread-crumbs; roll the clams in the crumbs, then dip them in beaten egg, and again roll them in crumbs; when the fat is smoking hot, put the clams into it, and fry them golden brown; then take them out of the frying-kettle with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper to free them from fat, and serve them hot. Fried clams should be served with a garnish of lemon cut in quarters, or a dish of sliced cabbage or of pickles. SCALLOPED CLAMS. Clams may be scalloped in their shells, or in china or silver dishes. CLAM FRITTERS. Carefully wash all sand away from a bunch or pint of clams, and chop them fine; strain the water in which they were washed; have ready, over the fire, a frying-kettle half full of fat; mix together a cupful of flour, the chopped clams, the yolk of a raw egg, a level teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and enough of the water in which the clams were washed to make a thick batter; when the fat is hot, beat the white of one egg to a stiff froth, stir it into the fritter-mixture, drop it by the tablespoonful into the fat when it is smoking hot, and fry the fritters; when they are brown, take them out of the fat with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, and then serve them hot. OYSTER PATTIES. To make the patty-cases, first prepare a good puff-paste, as directed in the proper recipe; in cutting it out, use Oyster Patties. An Illustration of a plate of Oyster Patties. either round or fluted tin pastry-cutters, such as are shown in the picture of those implements given elsewhere. If the cases are desired very high, use two layers of paste, wetting the top of the lower one, to make the upper one adhere to it, and gilding the top of the upper one with beaten egg; make a little circular cut down in the top of the patty, about quarter of an inch deep, to form the cover. Bake the cases on a baking-sheet, wet with cold water, in a moderately hot oven, until they are light brown; then cool them, cut out the cover, and, with a small sharp knife, take out the inner heavy portion; after they are so prepared they will be ready to fill, and serve either hot or cold. Fill the patties with oysters cooked as directed in the recipe for the ragoût which is used to fill the vol-au-vent of oysters. FRIED OYSTERS. Oysters prepared according to this recipe can be used hot or served cold, with celery and thin water-crackers, or wafer-like slices of brown bread buttered. After carefully removing all bits of shell from large oysters, lay them on a sieve to drain, while preparations are made for frying them. Put over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat to heat; season yellow Indian meal with salt and pepper, and beat three eggs until they are quite liquid; dip the oysters, first in the Indian meal, then in the beaten egg, and again in the meal, and then drop them into the fat after it begins to smoke, and fry them until they are golden brown; use one hand to dip the oysters in the egg, and the other to roll them in the meal, and let the egg drain well from each oyster before returning it to the meal; leave the oysters in a dish of meal until ready to put them into the frying-kettle; after they are fried light brown, take them out of the fat with a skimmer, and lay them on a sieve so that they do not touch each other, until they are served. If they are to be served cold, let them become quite dry and cool; after they are cool, they can be kept in a cool dry place,-- not in the refrigerator, --until they are wanted: if they are put in a damp place, or where steam can reach them, they will become soft and unpalatable. To be acceptable cold, they must be slightly crisp, or certainly dry; a little salt may be sprinkled over them when they are dished for the table. Salt-pork drippings, or good olive-oil and lard in equal proportions, are the best fats for frying the oysters. When they are to be kept for several hours, care must be taken either to arrange them in single layers or large dishes, or to place waxed paper between them when several layers are put on one dish. Cracker-dust or bread-crumbs may be used instead of Indian meal; or the oysters may simply be rolled in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and then fried in much or little fat, only providing it is smoking hot before they are put into it. ROAST OYSTERS. Oysters for roasting should be washed in plenty of cold water to free the shells from mud, and then placed upon a bed of hot coals, with the thick end, where the shells are united by a joint, down, so that the liquor may not all escape as the oysters open under the effect of the heat; as fast as they open, they should be taken from the fire, and sent at once to the table. An easy way to prepare oysters is to arrange them in a dripping-pan, and place the pan over the coals, or in a very hot oven; the flavor of the oysters so cooked is good, and much of the difficulty of handling them is obviated. Still another method is to make the deep shells of oysters very hot in a pan in a hot oven, then put an oyster in each shell with a very little butter, and replace the pan in the oven for one minute; this will curl the edges of the oysters, and they can then be transferred, in the shells, to a platter, and sent to the table. A pair of oyster -tongs is needed to handle the hot oyster-shells when the fish are roasted on the coals : in following the other methods, the hands should be protected from burning by a thick dry towel. STEWED OYSTERS. After all bits of shell are removed from the oysters, and their liquor has been strained to free it from shell and sand, put the liquor over the fire with a tablespoonful of butter to the liquor from a quart of oysters, and let it boil; remove all scum as it rises; add pepper palatably, and very little salt; milk may be used if it is desired, in equal quantity with the oyster -liquor; after the broth thus made is freed from scum, and seasoned, put in the oysters; watch them, and the moment their edges curl, remove them from the fire, and serve them at once. Stewed oysters are sometimes thickened by the addition of a little cracker-dust , and they may be varied by using milk instead of part of the oyster -liquor. PICKLED OYSTERS. Oysters for pickling must be of medium size, carefully opened without tearing them, and freed from all bits of shell; their liquor should be strained through a cloth fine enough to retain any sand it may contain, and then placed over the fire with the oysters, and allowed to cook for three minutes after the oyster-liquor begins to steam; the oysters should be skimmed out of the broth, and laid on a sieve to drain; the liquor should be allowed to stand long enough to deposit its sediment, then the clear part poured off and again placed over the fire in a saucepan, with an equal quantity of good vinegar; to each quart of the mixed oyster-broth and vinegar, allow the yellow rind of half a lemon, two small blades of mace, an inch of stick-cinnamon, and a level teaspoonful of peppercorns or a very small red pepper; let the pickle boil for about five minutes, removing all scum as it rises, and then cool it; put the oysters into glass jars, cover them with the pickle, and close the jars to exclude the air. The entire contents of each jar should be used the day it is opened, as the oysters spoil quickly when they are exposed to the air. Pickled oysters will keep two or three weeks if the jars are properly sealed; they are best if used soon after they are prepared; in that case they require only to be scalded in the boiling broth, and they are much plumper and more tender than when they are allowed to boil, as they must do to insure perfect preservation for any length of time. VOL-AU-VENT OF OYSTERS. To make the case for a vol-au-vent, follow the directions given in the recipe for puff-paste until the paste is ready to cut out; then use either a pastry-cutter of the proper shape and size, or a sharp knife. Cut out the case either with Uncooked Vol-au-vent Case. An Illustration of an uncooked Vol-au-vent Case. smooth or scalloped edges. The accompanying engraving of the uncooked vol-au-vent shows the scalloped edges; the cooked vol-au-vent is made with the smooth outline. After the pastry is cut out, two or more pieces are to be laid together, according to the height desired in the vol-au-vent after it is baked. If the pastry is properly made, and rolled about half an inch thick, two layers will make the case about four inches high after it is baked. Wet the layers with cold water, to make them adhere; with a sharp knife cut into the top layer about half an inch, following the lines shown upon the top of the uncooked vol-au-vent. These cuts will form the cover shown in the cooked vol-au-vent. Brush the surface with beaten egg, and bake the case in a moderate oven until it is nicely browned; then cool it, and fill it as directed in the next recipe. RAGôUT OF OYSTERS FOR VOL-AU-VENT. Carefully remove all particles of shell from a quart of large oysters, and strain their liquor to free it from sand and Cooked Vol-au-vent Case. An Illustration of a cooked vol-au-vent case. shell; put into a thick saucepan two tablespoonfuls each of flour and butter, and stir them over the fire until they begin to bubble; then gradually stir in enough of the oyster-liquor to make a sauce thick enough to coat the spoon, or as thick as thick cream. If there is not enough oyster-liquor , use some cream or milk to make up the required quantity; season the sauce palatably with salt, pepper, and a very little grated nutmeg, and let it boil once; then put in the oysters, and stir them in the sauce until their edges curl. The ragoût may be used in that condition, or the yolks of two raw eggs may be stirred into it after it is taken from the fire, and three tablespoonfuls of oil and one of lemon-juice added, a few drops at a time. While the oysters are being cooked, the vol-au-vent case may be heated in the oven, if it is wanted hot. To prepare it for the ragoût, use a sharp knife to cut around and lift up the cover; take out from the middle of the case all the soft, heavy part of the pastry, and then fill it with the ragoût; as soon as the case is filled, lay the cover over it, and serve it at once. If the ragoût stand in the case, the latter becomes saturated, and loses its fresh, crisp character. When the vol-au-vent is to be served cold, let the ragoût cool before putting it into the case. CHAPTER IV. RELISHES (Hors-d'œuvres) . THE innumerable small appetizers known as relishes, or hors-d' œuvres, include all forms of pickles, and table-sauces, small sandwiches, and crusts garnished with highly seasoned meats, various preparations of cheese, and eggs; in short, any small, highly spiced or seasoned dish calculated to rouse or stimulate the appetite. Relishes: BouchÉes and Rissoles. An illustration of Assorted Relishes such as Bouchees and Rissoles. TIMBALES, PATTIES, BOUCHEES, RISSOLES, AND COCKSCOMBS. Of the different forms of puff-paste shown in the above engraving, the largest ones are timbales, or small deep patties; the second largest are patties; the third in size are bouchÉes, or small patties; the smallest are rissoles, or little turnovers; the dark figures at one side of the picture represent cockscombs, which are included in some of the more elaborate ragoûts, for which recipes are given elsewhere. Rissoles are baked and fried; timbales are baked in deep, smooth moulds, the bottom and sides of the mould being lined with plain paste, and the top being made of puff-paste. All these forms of pastry are made both in sweets and with delicate force-meats and ragoûts. They are served among the hot entrÉes when filled with forcemeats or ragoûts. TONGUE TOAST. Make several slices of toast, and lay them on a platter; chop very fine or grate some bits of cold tongue, allowing two heaping tablespoonfuls for each slice of toast. Put the tongue into a saucepan. To each pint of tongue add a half-cupful of milk, a tablespoonful of butter, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper. Stir the tongue over the fire until it is hot, then pour it on the toast, and serve it at once. HAM TOAST. Chop very fine half a pound of cold boiled or roasted ham, mix with it the yolk of a raw egg and enough cream or cream-sauce to moisten it a little, and season it highly with salt and cayenne. Toast as many small slices of bread as are required to hold the ham; arrange them in a dripping-pan; put a little mound of ham on each slice, and quickly brown the surface in a very hot oven, or before an open fire. Serve the ham toast either hot or cold. CAVIARE TOAST. Use the best Russian caviare, if it is obtainable; an American or German caviare is sometimes good, and less expensive than the Russian. The best caviare, when freshly made, somewhat resembles oysters in taste; but the flavor of other sorts is indescribable. A mock-caviare can be made by boning half a dozen anchovies, and pounding them to a paste with a clove of garlic. Caviare is served with lemon-juice; or with salt, pepper, vinegar, and a little oil, mixed like a salad-dressing. After it is seasoned it is spread lightly upon delicate slices of toast; or it may be eaten with brown bread cut thin and buttered very slightly. At dinners caviare is placed upon the table with the relishes, or served after the oysters and soup. SMOKED FISH FOR RELISHES. Small strips of cured fish, either salted or smoked, are acceptable as a relish; or small fish which have been preserved in oil, such as anchovies or sardines, may be wiped dry with a towel, and served with vinegar or lemon-juice. Smoked eels, herring, halibut, sturgeon, tunny- fish, salt codfish, salmon, Finnan haddie, Yarmouth bloaters, or any dried fish may be served in this course; only it must be delicately prepared, in small pieces, and with some suitable garnish, so as to be an appreciable incentive to the enjoyment of the heavier dishes which succeed it. Sliced lemon is always a good garnish for any highly seasoned relish. SANDWICH BUTTER. Mix together equal parts of good butter and grated ham or tongue; season rather highly with salt, cayenne, and mustard mixed with vinegar. Pack the mixture into little earthen jars; cover each jar with a piece of paper dipped in brandy, and then exclude the air by a tight cover, or a bladder wet and then tied over the top. This butter may be made by the quantity, and kept in a cool, dry place. Its flavor may be changed by varying the ingredients and seasoning. SANDWICHES. Very acceptable sandwiches can be made with the potted and devilled meats and game now sold in jars and tins. The bread should be quite free from crust, cut in thin small slices, and thinly spread with the best butter; a very thin layer of highly seasoned meat, game, or poultry, or some kind of spiced or salted fish, is put between two slices of buttered bread; the irregular edges are trimmed off, and the sandwiches kept cool until wanted for use. Any meat or fish intended for sandwiches should be chopped or grated before using it, and rather highly seasoned. Sardines make very good sandwiches. CANAPÉES. CanapÉes are small slices of bread slightly hollowed out on the upper surface, and then fried golden brown in plenty of smoking-hot fat. The little hollow is filled with any highly seasoned meat, and the canapÉes served either hot or cold. BOUCHÉES. BouchÉes are very small shells of puff-paste, filled with any highly seasoned mince or ragoût. They are served both hot and cold. RISSOLES. Rissoles are little turnovers of puff-paste, filled with highly seasoned mince, and fried like croquettes. SPICED VEAL. Cut cold lean veal, either baked or fried, into pieces an inch square. Measure sufficient vinegar to cover it; heat the vinegar scalding hot, adding to each pint one dozen whole cloves, half an inch of stick- cinnamon, a teaspoonful of salt, and a small red pepper or a dozen peppercorns; when the vinegar is scalding hot, pour it and the spices over the veal, and let the veal stand in this pickle for at least twenty-four hours; it may then be used cold for luncheon or supper. VEAL LOAF. Chop four pounds of raw veal quite fine; mix with it half a pound of crackers rolled to large crumbs, three raw eggs, two teaspoonfuls of salt, two saltspoonfuls of pepper, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of powdered allspice; if the veal is perfectly lean, add a tablespoonful of butter; put this mixture into a smooth tin mould or pan just large enough to contain it. Set it in a moderate oven, and bake it for two hours. After the veal loaf is cooked, let it cool in the pan, and then turn it out. It is to be sliced, and served cold for luncheon or supper. JELLIED CHICKEN. Have a large chicken or fowl plucked, singed, wiped with a wet towel, and drawn without breaking the intestines; cut off the head and feet, and divide it in four or five pieces, so that it can be packed closely in a saucepan; cover it with hot water, add a teaspoonful of salt and a level saltspoonful of pepper, cover the saucepan closely, and boil the chicken until the bones can be taken out, always taking care that there is broth enough to prevent burning. After the bones have been removed from the chicken, put it into a tin or earthen mould, or an ordinary dish of suitable size, from which it can be turned when cold; strain the broth, return it to the saucepan, place it over the fire, and dissolve gelatine in it; allow half a small box of gelatine to a quart of broth; soften the gelatine in enough cold water to cover it, while the chicken is being boiled, and then by stirring it with the hot broth for a few moments it will entirely dissolve; season the broth palatably with salt and a very little cayenne, and pour it over the chicken in the mould; as soon as the chicken is quite cold, it can be turned out of the mould and sliced as desired. Any acid jelly, or spicy pickle, makes a good garnish for jellied chicken. Jellied cranberries are excellent with the chicken. PICKLED CHICKEN. Pluck and singe a chicken, wipe it with a wet towel, draw it without breaking the intestines, cut it in joints, and boil it until quite tender in just enough water to cover it, with a level tablespoonful of salt, two blades of mace, and a teaspoonful each of whole cloves and peppercorns. When the chicken is tender, remove all the bones, and put the meat loosely in a jar. To enough of the broth to half fill the jar, add an equal quantity of vinegar and all the spice; let this pickle get scalding hot, and then pour it over the chicken. When the pickle is cold, cover the jar. The chicken will be fit to use after six hours. PEANUTS ROASTED WITH SALT. This side of Mason and Dixon's line, these favorite nuts are not half well estimated. That a whole dinner--and not a bad one--can be made of them, may not have occurred to the reader who is unfamiliar with the author's peanut menu. The trial is suggested, of carefully removing the shells and skins, and roasting the nuts like the almonds described in the next recipe. If wine is used with them, it should be sherry or Madeira; or the salted nuts may be eaten with celery, or plain lettuce salad, or with cheese and crackers. SALTED ALMONDS. After shelling almonds, pour boiling water upon them, and let them remain in it until the skins begin to loosen, which will be soon. Rub the almonds in a clean towel, to remove the skins; put the blanched almonds into a pan, with enough butter to prevent burning (very little will suffice), and put the pan into a quick oven. Watch the almonds, and shake the pan frequently, so that they may brown equally. When they are delicately and evenly colored, take them up, let them cool, and then dust a little salt over them, and use them as a relish at luncheon or dinner, or serve them as a course with some fine sherry or Madeira. WALNUTS AND WINE. Where nuts and wine are served as a course, the nuts should be fine English walnuts, carefully peeled, and old Madeira should accompany them if possible; that is, this combination is absolutely acceptable. Salt should be on the table for the nuts, or, after they are taken from the shells, they can be dipped in the glass of wine before they are eaten. Other combinations are: filberts and sherry or Madeira; salted almonds and sherry; salted chestnuts --the large French or Italian nuts, either boiled or baked, and peeled--and a good Chianti or a claret; or Girard boiled chestnuts with an Italian wine, Baroli; or hickory-nuts and sherry; or a variety of nuts, with olives and sherry; or paper-shell almonds and sherry. A favorite American combination is nuts, raisins, apples, and cider: this belongs with the old-fashioned American Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner of roast turkey, chicken-pie , sweet-potatoes , steamed squash, oyster or chicken salad, celery, cranberry-jelly , squash, pumpkin, and mince pies, and plum-pudding . A good after-dinner "bite" is the Girard nut sandwich. Filberts might be used for this sandwich. English filberts should be kept in their husks, damp, or packed in salt, so that the kernels will be soft. If the husks look mouldy, put the nuts in a colander, and shake them over the fumes of a little burning sulphur before sending them to the table. GIRARD BOILED CHESTNUTS. A most delicious hot relish is made of boiled Italian chestnuts, served with fresh butter. After washing the chestnuts, cut through the stem end of the shells with two cuts, crossing each other, so that the shells can be easily stripped off; tie the nuts in a napkin, and boil them just tender in salted boiling water; then take them up, turn them into a fresh napkin laid in a salad-bowl, and serve the nuts hot, with fresh butter and salt. If served at dinner, a good Bordeaux wine should accompany them, or Baroli. THE GIRARD NUT SANDWICH. Use very thin home-made bread, cut free from crust, and lightly buttered. Upon each slice lay the thinnest possible slice of Gruyere cheese; then peel as many fresh walnuts as will cover a slice, lay them upon the cheese, and sprinkle a very little salt over the nuts; lay another thin shaving of cheese on the nuts, and more very thin buttered bread; press the slices of bread close together, to hold the nuts in place, and serve the sandwiches with a fine sherry. This may make an after-dinner relish, or be served with the green salad, dressed with plain French salad-dressing, as a course. WELSH RAREBIT. The ordinary American factory cheese is excellent for rarebits, because it grates easily, melts quickly, and blends smoothly with the other ingredients. To make a rarebit, mix the following ingredients in a saucepan, and then stir them over the fire until they are smoothly melted together; meantime prepare two slices of toast, and lay them on a hot dish. When the rarebit is quite smooth, pour it on the toast, and serve it at once. The proper ingredients for a rarebit are: quarter of a pound of cheese grated, two ounces of butter, two tablespoonfuls of ale, a saltspoonful each of salt and dry mustard, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a dust of cayenne. A very good rarebit is made by substituting for the ale the yolks of two raw eggs, beaten in half a cupful of milk. This rarebit is mixed and cooked like the first, and is very tender and delicate. GOLDEN BUCK. A golden buck is a Welsh rarebit with a poached egg laid on it. YORKSHIRE RAREBIT. A Yorkshire rarebit is a golden buck with a slice of fried or broiled bacon laid upon the poached egg. All the rarebits may be made at the table in a chafing-dish, if the cheese is grated and the toast prepared in the kitchen. The more quickly they are eaten after they are cooked, the better they are. CHEESE STRAWS AND CRUSTS. Cheese crusts and cheese straws make an acceptable accompaniment for any green salad, or for celery. To prepare cheese straws, sift six ounces of flour on the pastry-board, make a hole in the centre, into which put the yolk of a raw egg or two tablespoonfuls of cream, three heaping tablespoonfuls of any dry rich cheese, grated, an equal quantity of butter, half a level teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, a dust of cayenne, and a very little grated nutmeg. Mix these ingredients with the tips of the fingers to a smooth paste, which can be rolled out an eighth of an inch thick. If the cream and butter do not furnish moisture enough to form the paste, add a very little cold milk or water. When the paste is rolled out, cut it in small strips about six inches long, with a sharp knife or with the pastry-wheel; lay the strips or straws on a buttered baking-pan, in straight rows, a little apart, and set the pan in a moderate oven; the straws will cook within a few minutes, and must be watched carefully, because, if they are allowed to brown, their flavor will be spoiled; they need to bake only long enough to slightly harden them, but not to become at all brown. When they are done, let them cool on the pan, and then transfer them to the dish on which they are to be served, taking care to lift them by slipping under them the flexible blade of a long; thin knife, for they are very brittle. Cheese crusts are small slices of bread covered with grated cheese, seasoned with salt and pepper, and browned in a hot oven. CHEESE PUFFS. Grate half a pound of any dry, rich cheese. Butter a dozen small paper cases, or little boxes of stiff writing-paper, like those shown farther on in the picture of soufflÉ cases. Put over the fire a thick saucepan containing a gill of water; add two tablespoonfuls of butter, and, when the water boils, stir in one heaping tablespoonful of flour, and beat the mixture until it cleaves away from the sides of the saucepan; then stir in the grated cheese; remove the paste thus made from the fire, and let it partly cool; meantime separate the yolks from the whites of three eggs, and beat them until the yolks foam and the whites make a stiff froth; then first stir the yolks with the paste, and next lightly mix in the whites; put the mixture at once into the buttered paper cases, filling them only half full, as they rise very high while being baked; and bake them in a moderate oven for about fifteen minutes: as soon as the puffs are done, put the cases on a hot dish covered with a folded napkin, and serve them very hot. Served with celery they will make a course at a regular dinner, after the game; or they may replace a sweet dessert at a plain dinner. POTTED CHEESE. Grate two pounds of old cheese : pound it in a mortar to a smooth paste with a quarter of a pound of butter, a saltspoonful of powdered mace, a teaspoonful of salt, and a glass of sherry; pack the cheese in earthen jars, cover it with clarified butter, --which is butter melted at a gentle heat, and poured carefully away from the sediment,--and keep it in a cool place. EASTER EGGS. Easter morning would be incomplete, for the children at least, without the brightly colored eggs typical of the day. There are many ways of coloring the eggs, the easiest being the boiling of them with various colored dyes sold in small packages at the chemists'. An old-fashioned method was to tie each egg in a piece of figured chintz or calico, which would leave its imprint on the egg after it was exposed to the action of boiling water. Another good way to produce a variegated reddish-purple color was to boil with the eggs the skins of red onions. To color the eggs with original designs, a provincial method was to trace figures upon the shells of raw eggs with a bit of hard tallow candle, thus covering the part of the shell which was desired white, and then to put the eggs in boiling dye-water. Sometimes the eggs are entirely dyed, and then designs are engraved upon them with a sharp knife or a strong trussing or darning needle. When the prepared dye-stuffs are not available, varied colors may be produced by using the following-named chemicals, boiling a small quantity with the eggs : Red, Brazil wood; yellow, Persian berries, or a very little tumeric; brown, a strong dye of tumeric; claret color, logwood; black, logwood and chromate of potash; blue, a mixture of powdered indigo, crystals of sulphate of iron, and a little dry slacked lime. The eggs should always be boiled for ten minutes at least. HARD-BOILED EGGS. Put half a dozen eggs over the fire in cold water, let the water heat, and boil the eggs for ten minutes after the water begins to boil; then put them for a moment into a bowl of cold water so that they can be handled; break the shell in every direction by tapping the eggs upon the table, and then peel it off. TURKEY, GEESE, AND DUCK EGGS. Put the eggs into a bowl filled with boiling water for five minutes, keeping the bowl covered tight and in a hot place; then pour off the first water, replace it with more boiling water, and let them stand for five minutes longer; serve them like ordinary boiled eggs; or, actually boil the eggs for five minutes: either of these methods will cook the eggs medium hard. From ten to fifteen minutes boiling will cook the eggs hard, according to their size. Duck eggs will cook in less time than turkey or goose eggs. STEAMED EGGS. Break in separate cups as many eggs as are required to cover the bottom of a shallow dish the size of the steamer. Butter the dish, slip the eggs on it; put a small bit of butter and a little salt and pepper on each, and set the dish in the steamer for three minutes or longer, until the eggs are cooked to the required degree. A colander set over a kettle of boiling water will serve for steaming the eggs if it can be closely covered. BROILED EGGS. Make as many small slices of toast as there are eggs, lay them on a platter, butter them, and on each one put an egg, first broken into a cup; set the dish before the fire where the heat will strike the eggs, and let them cook to the required degree; when the eggs are done, squeeze over them the juice of a sour orange, season them lightly with salt and cayenne, and serve them hot. SHIRRED EGGS. This form of cooking eggs is a modification of baking them. Small earthen dishes are used, each one holding an egg; the dishes are buttered, an egg put into each one without mixing the white and yolk, and a little salt and pepper dusted over the eggs; the dishes are then placed upon the back of the stove, or in a moderate oven, until the whites of the eggs are set; the dishes are then sent to the table, and the eggs eaten from them. When the eggs are cooked in the oven, they should be covered with a buttered paper to prevent the browning of the surface. POACHED EGGS WITH HAM. Have ready about a quarter of a pound of cold boiled ham, in one piece, trimmed free from fat; make a dish of very delicate buttered toast; break half a dozen eggs into separate cups, without breaking the yolks; put over the fire a frying-pan half full of boiling salted water, add half a cupful of vinegar to it, slip the eggs gently into it without breaking them, and cook them to the required degree; while the eggs are being cooked, grate the ham; when the eggs are done, take them up on a skimmer, slip each one on a slice of toast, lay a tablespoonful of grated ham on each egg, and serve them at once. Plain poached eggs are served on toast without the addition of the grated ham. Eggs poached in gravy are very good. FRIZZLED BEEF AND EGGS. Put a quarter of a pound of sliced dried beef in a frying-pan over the fire, with milk or water enough to cover it, and let it cook slowly for five minutes; then pour off the liquid, and add in its place a tablespoonful of butter and six raw eggs; stir the beef and eggs together over the fire, season them palatably with salt and pepper, and serve them as soon as they are cooked to the desired degree. FRIED EGGS. Usually ham is fried as an accompaniment for eggs, the eggs being cooked in the pan after the ham is done; but eggs can be fried in drippings, lard, or butter. Have ready in the frying-pan enough fat to half cover the eggs; break the eggs in separate cups or saucers, and slip them into the hot fat; if the eggs are to be cooked hard, either dip the hot fat up over them with a spoon, or turn them entirely over in it without breaking the yolks; when the eggs are cooked to the desired degree, dust over them a little pepper and salt, and serve them. SCRAMBLED EGGS. This is a favorite dish for luncheons or breakfasts. The eggs are broken into a frying-pan containing about a teaspoonful of butter for each egg, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; the eggs are then stirred over the fire until they are done to the desired degree, and then served hot. The eggs may be scrambled at the table, in a chafing-dish. OMELETS. There is an infinite variety of omelets, named from the special flavor or seasoning given by any predominating ingredient. The sweet light omelets are used either for breakfast or plain desserts; the plain omelets are suitable for breakfast and luncheon. In the parsley and fine herbes omelets, the chopped herbs are mixed with the eggs before the omelet is cooked; grated ham, tongue, and cheese are also mixed in the same way. Separate recipes are given for other omelets, where the special ingredient used is enclosed in the omelet. SARDINE OMELET. Have ready over the fire a frying-pan containing two tablespoonfuls of olive-oil; remove the skin and bones from two sardines, and cut them in half-inch lengths; beat three eggs with half a saltspoonful of salt and a slight dust of cayenne-pepper for a minute; have ready half a teaspoonful of lemon-juice or vinegar; when the oil is hot, pour the eggs into the pan, place it over the fire, and, with a fork, slightly break the omelet on the bottom, as it cooks, so that the uncooked portion can run upon the pan; do not tear the edges of the omelet. When the omelet is cooked to the required degree (and it should not be too well done), lay the sardines on one side of it, pour the lemon-juice or vinegar over them, fold the omelet together, enclosing them, and then turn it out on a hot dish, and serve it at once. All omelets should be served the moment they are done, as they harden by standing; and they should never be overdone. OMELET WITH MUSHROOMS. Use either fresh or canned mushrooms; heat a tablespoonful of chopped canned mushrooms, in enough white sauce to moisten them; or clean three fresh mushrooms, of medium size, and fry them in just enough butter to prevent burning, seasoning them palatably with salt and pepper. While the mushrooms are being heated, beat for half a minute three whole eggs, a level saltspoonful of salt, and very little pepper; put a smooth frying-pan over the fire, with a teaspoonful of butter; when the butter begins to brown, pour in the beaten egg; as soon as the egg sets upon the bottom of the pan, break it a little with a fork occasionally, and allow the uncooked portion of the egg to reach the pan; do not break the outer edge of the omelet, and do not stir it all together like scrambled eggs. When the omelet is cooked to the desired degree, put the mushrooms in the middle, fold the omelet together by lifting one half on a broad, flexible knife, and laying it over the other; then loosen it entirely from the pan, turn it out without breaking it, and serve it at once. RICE OMELET. Melt a tablespoonful of butter, add it to a cupful each of milk and cold boiled rice, a level teaspoonful of salt, and three well-beaten eggs; put a tablespoonful of butter in a hot frying-pan, and melt it; when the butter is melted, pour into the pan the ingredients already mixed, set the pan in a hot oven, and quickly bake the omelet. As soon as it is cooked, fold it double, turn it out on a hot dish, and serve it at once. OMELET WITH JELLY. Put a frying-pan over the fire to heat, with a teaspoonful of butter; beat separately the yolks of three eggs with a teaspoonful of sugar, and the whites to a stiff froth; when the butter is melted, mix the whites and yolks gently together, and put them into the hot pan; as fast as the omelet cooks, lift the cooked portion from the pan with a fork, and throw it upon one side of the pan, letting the uncooked part down upon the hot pan. When the omelet is cooked to the desired degree, put a tablespoonful of jelly in the middle, fold the omelet together, and turn it out on a hot dish; dust it with powdered sugar, and serve it. PINEAPPLE OMELET. Have ready a tablespoonful of fresh grated pineapple, or of pineapple-preserve ; mix together three eggs, a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, and a tablespoonful of sugar; put the omelet into a hot buttered pan, and cook it as directed in the recipe for sardine omelet, until it is ready to fold; then put in the pineapple, fold the omelet together, and turn it out on a hot dish; dust it with powdered sugar, and serve it at once. TOMATO CATSUP. Scald and peel a peck of tomatoes and two onions; boil them with a pint of vinegar in the preserving-kettle, until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve with a potato-masher; then add to them a cupful of salt, half a cupful of mustard mixed with the same quantity of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls each of powdered cloves, mace, allspice, and black pepper, and one level teaspoonful of cayenne-pepper. Boil all these ingredients together again for an hour, and then bottle the hot catsup in bottles heated in hot water; cork and seal the bottles while hot. SEALING-WAX FOR PICKLE JARS. Put three ounces of yellow beeswax into a small tin pail with six ounces of powdered rosin; set the pail in a pan of hot water, and stir the wax and rosin until they are melted and smoothly blended. While the wax is still liquid from the action of heat, apply it to the jars or bottles containing pickles or preserves, after they are corked. CUCUMBER CATSUP. Peel and chop very fine twelve large cucumbers, an equal measure of Spanish onions, four large green peppers without the seeds, one small bulb of garlic, and four shallots; grate one medium-sized root of horseradish; put all these ingredients in a porcelain-lined kettle over the fire, add enough cold vinegar to cover them, together with half a cupful of salt, and a tablespoonful each of ground cloves, allspice, mace, and cinnamon, and red pepper to taste. Boil the catsup gently until it is of the proper consistency, and then cool and bottle it. OYSTER CATSUP. Remove all pieces of shell from a hundred large, fresh oysters; put them into a mortar with four tablespoonfuls of salt, one ounce of powdered mace, and one saltspoonful of cayenne-pepper, and pound them to a smooth paste; put this paste over the fire with an equal quantity by measure of white wine; let it heat slowly, and then boil for five minutes; then rub the catsup through a fine sieve, boil it again for five minutes, skimming it quite clear; cool the catsup after the second boiling, add to it a glass of brandy, and bottle, cork, and seal it. It is used as a table-sauce, and for flavoring soups, sauces, and gravies. CHILI SAUCE. Peel and slice four quarts of fresh tomatoes, or use the canned vegetables. Chop one pint of fresh red peppers, or one-third that quantity of dried ones; peel and chop half a pint of onions; put these ingredients into a saucepan with half a pound of brown sugar, a pint and a half of vinegar, a quarter of an ounce each of ground cloves and cinnamon, an eighth of an ounce each of ground ginger and mace, and two ounces of salt; boil all these ingredients together gently for three hours, stirring them frequently to prevent burning, and then cool the sauce, and seal it up in wide-mouthed glass bottles. CHOW-CHOW. Remove the defective and green outer leaves of firm white cabbages, and shave enough to fill a four-quart measure; measure an equal quantity each of green tomatoes, small green cucumbers, and green peppers, and slice them thin, after wiping them with a wet cloth; put them into earthen or wooden vessels, sprinkling a pint of salt among them; let them stand over night; drain them the next day, put them into a preserving-kettle with a pint of small red peppers and the following spices : one ounce each of whole mace, peppercorns, mustard-seed, and powdered tumeric ; half an ounce each of whole cloves, celery-seed, and grated horseradish; and sufficient vinegar to cover them; boil them gently for half an hour, and then cool them, and put them up in earthen or glass jars with close covers. PICKLED CABBAGE. Remove the outer leaves and the tough parts of the stalks from four large heads of firm white cabbage; shave it, and put it into an earthen jar or a wooden tub, sprinkling about half a pint of salt through it, and let it stand over night; the next day draw off the brine, put the cabbage over the fire, with four onions peeled and chopped, four ounces of mustard-seed, two ounces each of ground mustard, celery-seed, and tumeric, one ounce each of whole mace, cloves, allspice, and pepper, two pounds of brown sugar, and enough vinegar to cover the cabbage; boil all these ingredients together until the stalks of the cabbage are tender; then cool the pickle, and put it up in air-tight jars. PICKLED TOMATOES. Use small yellow tomatoes, button onions, and very small dwarf red peppers; half a cupful of red peppers to three quarts of tomatoes and one quart of onions; prick the tomatoes with a needle, put them into enough cold brine to cover them (the brine being made by dissolving as much salt in cold water as the water will receive), and let them stand for a week. On the fifth day peel the onions, taking care not to cut them too closely at the root and top, and let them stand two days in the same kind of brine. At the end of a week drain the tomatoes and onions, wipe them on a clean cloth, and put them into quart glass or earthen jars with the peppers; fill one jar with cold vinegar, and pour it out again, in order to ascertain the quantity required; use four times that quantity; with the vinegar put a cupful of brown sugar, a tablespoonful each of whole allspice, cloves, and cinnamon, and heat it over the fire until it is scalding hot; then cool it, and pour it into the jars, dividing the spice among them; seal the jars, and keep them in a cool, dark place. Small red tomatoes, or green ones, can be put up in the same way; unless the green ones are very small, they should be quartered or sliced. RIPE TOMATO PICKLES. Choose firm, small, round, ripe tomatoes; wash them, prick them with a large needle, and let them stand for a week in cold water containing as much salt as it will dissolve. Then wash them in cold water, and drain them over night. Put them into an earthen jar, sprinkling among them half a cupful of mustard-seed, and two red- pepper pods chopped, for each gallon of tomatoes; cover them with cold vinegar; put a close cover on the jar, and keep them in a cool, dark place. SWEET PICKLE OF BEETS. Carefully wash half a dozen beets without breaking the skin or trimming off the roots or stalks; put them over the fire in enough boiling water to cover them, and boil them steadily until they are tender enough to yield when pressed between the fingers; then rub off the skins with a wet towel, and slice the beets; put over the fire a pint of vinegar, a tablespoonful each of whole cloves and peppercorns, a blade of mace, a small stick of cinnamon, and a pound of brown sugar; stir all these ingredients until the sugar is melted and the pickle is scalding hot; then pour it over the beets, and let them cool; after they are cool, they will be ready for use. PICKLED ONIONS. As these are the most wholesome pickles that can be made, care should be given to their preparation. Choose them small, of even size, and perfectly round. Peel them without cutting the tops and roots so closely as to break them apart; as fast as they are peeled, drop them into strongly salted cold water, and let them stand in it for twenty-four hours. Then drain them on sieves, dry each one with a cloth, and drop them into glass jars. As soon as one jar is filled, put in all the cold vinegar it will hold, pour it out again, and measure it, allowing as much more vinegar for every jar; heat the vinegar scalding hot, with whole cloves, cinnamon, mace, and peppercorns, using about a level tablespoonful of mixed spice for each quart jar of onions; let the vinegar cool, and then pour it into the jars, dividing the spice among them. Cover the jars from the dust. On the second and third days, pour out the vinegar, scald it again, and when cold pour it again over the onions. The third day, seal the jars securely from the air. GRATED CUCUMBER PICKLE. In the season of fresh cucumbers, use them, first peeling them; in winter, use salted or pickled cucumbers. Grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater, and if the fresh vegetable is used, squeeze out nearly all of the juice; season the pulp highly with salt and pepper, and pack it into glass jars; pour strong cold vinegar in, quite filling the jars, and then seal them air-tight. Use after about a week. The character of the pickle can be varied by adding to the grated cucumber one-fourth its quantity of grated green peppers, without the seeds, or of white onions peeled and grated. SPICED GHERKINS. Use small gherkins. Wash them in cold water, and cover them with cold brine strong enough to float an egg, for three days; then drain them; line a preserving-kettle with green grape-leaves ; put the gherkins into it in layers with more leaves, and cover them with leaves; sprinkle a little pulverized alum between the layers (a piece of alum the size of a small grain of corn will be enough for each pound of gherkins ); pour into the kettle just enough cold water to cover the top layer of leaves, spread a clean cloth over the top of the kettle, and put on the cover, placing a weight on it to keep it in place; put the kettle on the back of the stove, where its contents will heat gradually, and let them steam, without boiling, for three hours; then lay the gherkins in cold water for an hour: if one treatment does not green the gherkins sufficiently, repeat it. After the gherkins are green, put them into earthen jars; put over the fire sufficient vinegar to cover them, allowing half a pound of sugar and half an ounce of mixed whole cloves, allspice, peppercorns, mace, and cinnamon, to each quart of vinegar; as soon as the vinegar is scalding hot, pour it over the gherkins; when they are cold, seal them from the air. They will be ready to use in about a week. The omission of the sugar and spice will give a good kind of pickled gherkins. Ordinary sized cucumbers can be pickled or spiced in the same way; the greening with the grape-leaves may be omitted. PICKLED MARTINOES. Choose the vegetable tender enough to admit the head of a pin without much pressure; wash the pods in cold water, and then let them stand for a week in a brine salt enough to float an egg; at the end of a week, boil together vinegar enough to cover the pickles, allowing half a cupful of mixed whole spices to a quart of vinegar; take the pods from the brine, wipe them with a dry towel, lay them in earthen jars, and pour the hot vinegar and spices over them; when they are cold, cover them, and let them stand until they are saturated with the vinegar, then use them. PICKLED PEACHES. Choose perfectly sound peaches of medium size; brush them all over with a soft brush. Boil together six quarts of water and a pint of coarse salt, and skim it until it is clear; then cool it: the quantity may be increased or diminished to suit the quantity of peaches, enough being used to cover the peaches; but this proportion of salt and water must be observed. When the brine is cold, put the peaches into it, and let them stand forty-eight hours; then rinse them in clean water, dry them on a soft towel, and stick half a dozen cloves in each one. Boil, and skim till clear, as much vinegar as will well cover the peaches, --the quantity may be gauged by measuring the brine --allowing for each quart of vinegar, four blades of mace and a quarter of an ounce of stick-cinnamon; when the vinegar has boiled about fifteen minutes, put in the peaches, and remove the preserving-kettle containing them to the back of the fire, where its contents will not boil; let the peaches stand in the hot vinegar for five minutes, and then put both peaches and vinegar at once into glass jars, and seal them airtight. Sweet pickled peaches are made by allowing a pound of brown sugar to each pint of vinegar, boiling the sugar with the vinegar and spices. PEACH MANGOES. Prepare a brine as directed in the recipe for pickled peaches. Choose fresh, sound peaches, brush them with a soft brush, and lay them in the cold brine for three days. Then remove them from the brine, cut a piece out of the top of each one, and take out the stone without enlarging the hole. For two dozen large peaches, mix together two pounds of brown sugar, one onion, and a clove of garlic chopped fine, four ounces each of grated horse-radish and white mustard-seed, one ounce of powdered cinnamon, and half an ounce each of ground cloves, mace, and tumeric. Use sufficient salad-oil to moisten these ingredients. Fill the peaches with them; close the cut with a piece of peach, and either sew or tie it in place. Put the stuffed peaches into glass jars, cover them with cold vinegar, pour two tablespoonfuls of salad- oil in each jar, and seal them air-tight. DAMSON SAUCE FOR MEATS. This sauce is a good substitute for currant-jelly when required for game, birds , and venison. To prepare it, wash and put in a preserve-kettle seven pounds of damson plums, one pint of vinegar, and three pounds and a half of brown sugar, and let them heat slowly, and boil gently until the skins begin to burst; then at once skim the plums from the sirup; put into it four inches of stick-cinnamon, a teaspoonful of whole cloves, and two blades of mace, and continue to boil it until a little of it jellies, when cooled, on a saucer; put the damsons into jars, strain the sirup, and pour it over them hot; when cool, close the jars, and seal them air-tight. CIDER APPLE-SAUCE. Pare juicy, tart apples, quarter and core them, place them in a porcelain-lined preserve-kettle, pour over them enough sweet cider to cover them, and stew them to a pulp; if all the cider is absorbed before the apples are done, add a little more; a little spice in powder may be added if the flavor is liked. The sauce may be made in quantities, as it will keep well. QUINCE AND APPLE BUTTER. Use twice as many sour apples as quinces, and half their combined weight in sugar; pare, quarter, and core the quinces, tying the cores and peeling in a thin cloth; put both quinces and cores in a porcelain-lined kettle with just enough cold water to cover them, and boil them gently until they begin to grow tender; meantime peel, quarter, and core the apples, add them to the quinces, and boil them to a pulp: when the fruit is reduced to a pulp, add the sugar, boil the butter to the consistency of thick marmalade, stirring it constantly to prevent burning, and then cool it, and put it up as directed in the recipes for pickles and sauces. PUMPKIN SAUCE. When apples are dear and scarce, a very good sauce can be made with pumpkin, peeled and cooked as directed in the recipe for cider apple-sauce. CHAPTER V. SIDE-DISHES OF MEAT, POULTRY, AND GAME (EntrÉes). AMONG the entrÉes are classed not only the smaller meat dishes suitable for this service at dinners where several courses are used, but also many excellent breakfast and luncheon dishes. Often when there are only two or three persons for dinner, who do not care for an elaborate service, some hot meal entrÉe, with one or two vegetables and a simple dessert, makes up the meal. But since health so largely depends upon a variety in food, it is not well to limit the service habitually, although many of the side-dishes are attractive because they can easily be prepared from inexpensive materials. In this connection the fact should be remembered, that many soups and salads are also inexpensive, and they are both unquestionably most wholesome and appetizing. The side-dishes generally admit of garnishes; and many of them which are fried can be tastefully arranged upon napkins, with lemon and parsley. The imported lace papers replace napkins very prettily in the service of entrÉes, both hot and cold. Many entrÉes are larded with larding pork or bacon. As there are some objections to its use, it may, to a degree, be replaced by strips of tongue boiled tender; or of uncooked beef-fat, if any can be found tough enough to bear the strain of pulling it through the raw meat. BROILED ROUND OF BEEF. Use a tender round-steak, cut an inch and a half thick; cut it in strips an inch and a half square and about four inches long; dip the strips in melted butter seasoned with salt and pepper, put them between the bars of a double wire gridiron, and quickly broil them over a very hot fire; when they are done, put them on a hot dish, pour the remainder of the melted butter and seasoning over them, and serve them hot at once. PORTERHOUSE STEAK BROILED. The porterhouse steak is cut from the upper part of the sirloin where there is a large proportion of tenderloin. Wipe the steak with a damp cloth, or scrape it with the back of a knife, to remove the bone -dust, but do not wash it; never pound or cut the fibres to make them tender, because that permits the juice to escape. Brown the steak as close to the fire as it can be put without burning, first on one side, and then on the other, and then put it far enough from the fire to cook it to the desired degree without burning it; after the steak is done, put it on a hot platter, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, and serve it at once. When beefsteak is known to be tough before cooking, it can be made tender by being put in a dish with enough salad-oil and vinegar to moisten the under side. After lying in the oil and vinegar for several hours, it should be turned, and again allowed to stand: it should be cooked without wiping off the oil and vinegar. FRIED BEEFSTEAK WITH ONION SAUCE. Choose a tender steak cut from the round: if the beef is not tender, put it, early in the evening, on a meat-dish containing sufficient sweet salad-oil and vinegar mixed together to cover the dish, and thoroughly moisten both sides of the beefsteak; turn the steak over at bedtime. In the morning, heat a frying-pan hot enough to sizz when the steak touches it; put in the steak, and quickly brown it on both sides; when it is brown, set the pan where the heat is not too great, and cook the steak to the required degree; meantime fry the onions as directed in the recipe given below. When the beefsteak is done, put it on a hot dish, season it palatably with salt and pepper, and keep it hot. Into the pan where the beefsteak was fried, put the fried onions and all the gravy they yield, add sufficient hot water to make them semi-liquid; break them up with a fork, season the sauce palatably with salt and pepper, pour it over the beefsteak, and serve the dish hot. BROWN ONION SAUCE. Peel one pint of onions, slice them, put them into a frying-pan with two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, and fry them brown; then add a pint of any good gravy or broth, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; serve this sauce with broiled or fried beefsteak or chops. BEEFSTEAK SMOTHERED IN ONIONS. Peel and slice a dozen white onions, put them over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil them for half an hour. Meantime heat a frying-pan, and when it is quite hot put into it a porterhouse steak cut an inch thick; quickly cook the steak six minutes on each side, and then season it with salt and pepper; drain the onions, put them into the pan with the beefsteak, let them fry for two or three minutes, and then serve them on a hot dish laid over the beefsteak; pour all the gravy in the pan over them. Cold mashed potatoes made into little cakes and fried, and fried parsneps, make good accompaniments for beefsteak and onions. COLD ROAST BEEF BROILED. Cut rare roast beef in slices half an inch thick, lay them for half an hour on a plate containing enough salad- oil and vinegar to moisten the beef, allowing one tablespoonful of vinegar to three of oil. Dust the meat with pepper; turn the slices at the end of a half-hour, and in an hour broil them over a hot fire; do not wipe off the oil and vinegar before broiling the beef. Broil the beef very quickly at a hot fire, and serve it at once; a little butter, salt, and pepper can be used to season the broiled beef; and it may be garnished, if desired, with lemon, parsley, or watercress, or served with a dish of sliced fresh tomatoes or cucumbers. Freshly grated horseradish, dressed with vinegar and salt, is excellent with roast beef, either hot or cold. The cold beef may be simply sliced, broiled, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter. COLD ROAST BEEF FRIED. This dish is best when it is prepared in a chafing-dish upon the table, for its excellence depends upon its being served the moment it is done. Have the chafing-dish hot; cut the cold beef in thick slices; use just enough butter to prevent burning; put the beef into the chafing-dish, and heat it on both sides; as soon as it is hot, season it with salt, pepper, and either mustard, Worcestershire or walnut sauce, or tomato-catsup . HOW TO CLEAN TRIPE. The tripe marketed in cities is already cleaned and boiled, and only needs to be scalded with boiling water, and scraped with the back of a knife, before finally dressing it for the table. But in the country, it may sometimes be necessary for the housewife to understand the entire process of preparing it for cooking. Tripe consists of the walls and fatty portions of the stomachs of calves and cows, carefully cleansed and partly cooked by boiling. It is cleaned both with lime-water and with lye made from wood-ashes. When lime is used, it should be mixed with sufficient cold water to make it entirely liquid. After the stomach is emptied, it should be sewed up so that no lime can penetrate it, and allowed to remain in the lime-water for half an hour before scraping it. The lime must be washed off, or it will burn the hands. When ashes are used, the stomach is to be thickly sprinkled with them after it is emptied, and washed in plenty of cold water; and it is put into a jar or firkin with enough boiling water to cover it, and remains in the lye thus formed for five or six hours before it is scraped. When neither lime nor ashes are available, the tripe must be repeatedly scalded with boiling salted water, and scraped until it is clear: after that it must be laid in cold salted water for a week, the water being changed every day. In treating the tripe with lime-water or lye, the dark surface can be removed by several scaldings and scrapings. The tripe should then be left in salted cold water for twenty-four hours; after that it will be ready to be washed in fresh water, and boiled in salted boiling water, until it begins to look clear, and is tender enough to permit a broom-straw to be run through it. After tripe has been boiled, it can be kept in an earthen jar, covered with milk and water equally mixed, with sour milk or buttermilk, or with vinegar which has been scalded with plenty of spice, and poured upon the tripe while hot. The tripe bought already prepared should be well washed in plenty of cold salted water, and then boiled until tender in salted boiling water; after that it can be pickled in scalding-hot spiced vinegar, or kept in milk or buttermilk for several days. There are many ways of cooking tripe; and as it is nutritious and digestible, as well as cheap, it is an excellent winter food, when some of the meats most generally used are scarce and expensive. If it is prepared for the table immediately after the first boiling, it will require rather high seasoning. Tripe is usually broiled or fried, sometimes being first breaded, or rolled in flour. ROLLS OF TRIPE, CREOLE STYLE. Chop very fine one small clove of garlic, peel and slice one medium-sized onion and a pint of tomatoes , and fry them with a pound of sausage-meat until the meat begins to brown; meantime, scald a pound of tripe, scrape it with the back of a knife, and cut it in strips two inches wide and about five long. When the sausage-meat is done, season it palatably, put it into the pieces of tripe, roll them up, and tie them compactly; put a frying-pan over the fire with enough butter to cover the bottom, and when it begins to brown put in the rolls of tripe, and quickly brown them; also brown some little balls of sausage-meat; as the tripe is browning, dredge a little flour over it; when the tripe is brown, lay it on a dish, pour a little hot water into the pan, stir it about to make a sauce; season the sauce palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil, pour it on a hot platter, lay the tripe on it as shown in the accompanying cut, with the sausage meatballs in the middle. Rolls of Tripe, Creole Style. An illustration of a place of rolls of tripe. BEEF-KIDNEY BROILED WITH BACON. Wash a fresh beef-kidney, and cut it in small slices about quarter of an inch thick, rejecting all the membranes and fat; cut as many small thin slices of bacon as there are pieces of kidney, and put them alternately on small metal skewers; lay the skewers, thus filled with kidney and bacon, between the bars of a buttered double wire gridiron, and broil them quickly over a hot fire until the bacon is brown; then dust them with salt and pepper, and serve them at once. The little skewers are transferred to a hot dish, and laid on the plates in serving them at table: serve fresh butter with them. BEEF-KIDNEY STEWED. Peel and slice a small onion; cut a beef-kidney in small slices, and put it over the fire in a frying-pan with the onion and two tablespoonfuls of butter, and brown it; when the kidney is brown, dust over it a tablespoonful of flour, and stir it until the flour is brown, then pour in a pint of boiling water, season the kidney with salt and pepper, and stew it gently for ten minutes; then add a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, and a glass of Madeira, and serve the kidney. The entire operation should be finished in about twenty minutes, because kidney grows tough if cooked too long. If the wine and parsley are not available, use instead two tablespoonfuls of any good table sauce or vinegar. FRIED LIVER AND BACON WITH SPINACH. Thoroughly wash two quarts of spinach, trim away the roots and tough stalks, and let it stand in cold water; slice two pounds of calf's liver about half an inch thick; pour boiling water upon it, let it stand until cool enough to permit the skin to be stripped off, then dry it on a cloth, and roll it in flour seasoned with salt and pepper; slice a quarter of a pound of bacon very thin, put it over the fire in a frying-pan, and fry it until it begins to crisp; as soon as the bacon is put over the fire, drain the spinach, put it to boil in a large kettle half full of salted boiling water, and boil it fast until it is tender, which will be in about five minutes; as soon as the spinach is tender, drain it, and throw it into plenty of cold salted water; as soon as the bacon is crisp, take it up on a hot dish, and keep it hot; if there is half an inch of dripping in the frying-pan, put in the liver at once, or, if the quantity is scant, add a little lard, and when it is hot put in the liver; fry the liver brown on both sides, cooking it as quickly and thoroughly as possible, and seasoning it with pepper and salt; when the liver is done, put it on the hot dish with the bacon, and keep it hot. Drain the spinach, put it into the frying-pan with the drippings, and stir it over the fire until it is hot; then turn it out on a hot platter, lay the liver and bacon on the spinach, and serve the dish hot at once. The liver may be fried with the bacon, and served without the spinach. CALF'S LIVER ROLLS. Have a calf's liver sliced in long, even-size slices; scald it, and strip it off the skin; lay the slices of liver on the table, and season them with salt and pepper; season half a pound of sausage-meat, or chopped raw veal, highly with salt, pepper, and any powdered sweet herb except sage; mix a raw egg with it, and then spread it over the slices of liver; roll the slices, and tie them with string; put into a frying-pan over the fire, enough butter or beef-dripping to cover the bottom, and let it heat; when it begins to brown, put in the rolls of liver, and brown them. While the liver-rolls are browning, carefully wash a quart of new potatoes ; when the liver-roll are brown, put them into an earthen baking-dish with the potatoes ; stir two tablespoonfuls of flour into the frying-pan, and brown it; then gradually stir in a quart of boiling water, season this gravy highly with salt and pepper, let it boil, and then pour it into the dish with the liver and potatoes ; place the dish in a moderate oven, and bake its contents for about half an hour, or until the potatoes are done; then serve hot, in the same dish. After the liver-rolls have been browned, as directed above, they can be disted over with flour, and again browned, and covered with boiling water, and stewed until tender in the gravy thus made. When they are tender and palatably seasoned, they may be served with a dish of plain boiled potatoes . CUTLETS CLOUTÉ WITH TRUFFLES. The first engraving represents a cutlet from the rack or neck, trimmed and studded, or cloutÉ, with truffles. The meat must be tender, and the surface studded which is to be dished outward. The cutlets are best when braised, or gently stewed in a rich brown sauce, made as described in the recipe for garnished fricandeau of veal. The truffles are cut as represented in the second picture, and a small deep hole is made in the lean part of the cutlets to receive them. The cutlets are sometimes wrapped in writing-paper Cutlet Studded with Truffles. An Illustration of a cutlet studded with truffles. before they are braised, to keep the truffles in place. They may be served in a circle on a little of the sauce, or with a ragoût of mushrooms and truffles cooked with them; or still more elaborately, as shown in another recipe. Studs for Cutlets CloutÉ with Truffles. An Illustration of several studs for cutlets cloute with truffles. CUTLETS WITH TRUFFLES, GARNISHED. While the studded cutlets described in the recipe for cutlets cloutÉ with truffles are being cooked, cut a large circle from the bottom of a loaf of stale bread; from the centre of the loaf cut out a croustade, or vase, like that shown in the Cutlets CloutÉ with Truffles Garnished. An Illustration of cutlets cloute with truffles arranged on a fancy dish. picture, and fry them light brown in a large frying-kettle nearly full of fat, so that they can be entirely immersed. Set the croustade upon the circle laid on a dish, arrange the cutlets around it after they are cooked, and fill the hollow top of the croustade with some truffles heated in the sauce with the cutlets. A deft hand, an eye for proportion, and a very sharp small knife, all are required to make a well-shaped croustade. It may be less elaborate than the one shown in the picture. VEAL CUTLET BREADED, WITH TOMATOES. Cut about two pounds of veal-cutlet from the leg, in small slices; season them with pepper and salt, roll them in cracker-dust , then dip them in beaten egg, and roll them again in cracker -dust. Have ready upon the fire a dripping-pan containing smoking-hot fat half an inch deep; put the veal into the hot fat, and fry it brown on both sides. While the veal is frying, wipe half a dozen large firm tomatoes with a damp cloth, slice them about half an inch thick, roll them in flour seasoned with pepper and salt, and fry them brown in the pan with the veal. Serve both veal and tomatoes on the same dish, with the tomatoes laid neatly in a circle around the veal. The veal-cutlets may be breaded and fried, and served without the tomatoes. VEAL POT-PIE. Cut two pounds of the breast of veal in pieces about an inch square, after wiping the entire piece of meat with a damp towel; put it over the fire in two quarts of cold water, with three cloves, a teaspoonful of salt, and a dozen peppercorns or a small red pepper; let it slowly reach the boiling point, removing all scum as it rises. When the broth is quite free from scum, cover the saucepan containing it, and set it where its contents can simmer gently for about two hours. Meantime, peel a quart of small potatoes , and lay them in cold water; at the end of two hours, put them with the veal to boil. Then quickly sift together one quart of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, and two of baking-powder ; mix them to a soft dough with about a pint of cold milk or water, using no more than is required to just wet the flour; put this dough at once into the saucepan with the veal and potatoes , either in one flat piece laid on the top of these ingredients, or by the tablespoonful, wetting the spoon in the broth before using it to form each dumpling. Cover the saucepan, and boil its contents steadily for twenty minutes. Then serve the pot-pie hot. If the gravy is liked rather rich, stir into it the yolks of a couple of raw eggs before sending to the table. In the old-fashioned pot-pie, which was cooked by the general heat of a moderate fire of wood, the entire bottom and sides of the dinner-pot in which it was made were lined with the crust, and the meat, already partly cooked, was put into the crust. With the moderate heat, it was possible to brown the crust without burning it; but with our modern cooking apparatus, this would be a doubtful experiment to attempt. FRICANDEAU OF VEAL, LARDED. The fricandeau of veal is properly made from that round muscle which lies upon the inner side of the leg of veal, and is called the noix or cushion. To obtain it, the rest of the leg must be used for other dishes, which do not require special cuts; a thick cutlet is sometimes used as a fricandeau. Use the medium-sized larding-needle, and strips of fat salt pork cut less than quarter of an inch square, and two inches long; put the strips of pork, or lardoons, one by one into the split end of the needle, and take a succession of stitches about a quarter of an inch long and deep in the upper surface of the veal, in a line down the centre; then make other lines of lardoons on both sides of the centre line, letting the ends of the lardoons come between each other, as shown in the first picture, until the upper surface of the veal is thickly larded; after the veal is larded, it may be braised or baked, and will then present the appearance shown in the second picture. The fricandeau may be baked on a bed of vegetables, which can subsequently be rubbed through a sieve with a potato-masher, and form the basis of a brown gravy, or garnished after cooking with green peas or spinach, or served with a brown mushroom sauce. A larded fricandeau is a choice dish, even when it is made from a thick cutlet. The larded fricandeaux shown in the third illustration are garnished with button mushrooms and truffles. Larded Fricandeau of Veal. An Illustration of Larded Fricandeau of Veal. Larded Fricandeau after cooking. An Illustration of Larded Frincandeau after cooking. When it is not desirable to use lardoons of pork or bacon, strips of cold boiled tongue may replace them; or of beef-fat, if it can be found sufficiently tough to permit it to be pulled through the rather dense fibre of uncooked meat. In larding veal, the udder fat, that portion which is usually attached to the end of veal cutlet cut from the leg, makes passable lardoons. This fat is rather more substantial than that which lies about the kidneys, and which would crumble if drawn into uncooked meat. If the thin fat membrane, that is sometimes spread over spring lamb, is cut in small squares, and then rolled in the shape of lardoons, it may be used instead of pork. LARDED FRICANDEAUX, GARNISHED. After a couple of fricandeaux have been larded and cooked, as directed in the recipe for larded fricandeau, they may be garnished elaborately, as shown in the accompanying engraving. The larding in this case is done by letting the ends of the lardoons meet like the old stitch in sewing called herring-bone : the fricandeaux are the cushions or noix; the garnish is of truffles and button mushrooms, Larded Fricandeaux, Garnished. An Illustration of Larded Fricandeaux on a fancy dish. heated in brown sauce; and the alternate pieces of the dish are large sweetbreads, studded with truffles cut in pointed cubes, and inserted in the sweetbreads after they are blanched. The upper ornament is a hatelet, or garnished skewer, holding a cockscomb and a large truffle in place on the top of the centrepiece of fried bread. The base of the dish is a circle of fried bread, garnished with pieces of truffle set with cold aspic jelly, or with the white of egg upon the outer edge of the bread. The brown sauce may be made by browning together a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and then gradually stirring with them the liquor from the canned mushrooms and truffles, and enough broth to make a sauce thick enough to coat the spoon; season the sauce with salt and cayenne, add a glass of wine to it, and then heat in it the sweetbreads and the garnish. SWEETBREAD CROQUETTES. First blanch the sweetbreads, by soaking them in cold salted water for an hour, and bringing them to the boiling point in more cold salted water; then lay them in cold water to cool them, and afterward trim off all the flesh and surrounding membrane; have ready an equal quantity of cold tongue or ham; for a pint of this mixture, put into a saucepan a tablespoonful of butter, and a teaspoonful of grated onion, and let them begin to color; then stir in two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, and half a pint of boiling water, and let the sauce thus made boil; meantime chop or grate the sweetbreads or ham; add them to the sauce, and let the mixture boil, stirring it all the time; when the croquette mixture boils, draw it to the side of the fire, stir in the yolks of three raw eggs, and pour it on an oiled dish to cool. Have ready a frying-kettle half full of fat over the fire, a dish containing two or three eggs beaten smooth, and a large platter full of cracker-dust or bread-crumbs; wet the hands with cold water, and make the croquette mixture up in small cork-shaped rolls; put the croquettes first in the cracker-dust , then into the beaten egg, and again in the cracker-dust ; smooth them on the outside, and fry them golden brown in the hot fat; when the croquettes are nicely browned, put them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, and then serve them hot. A lemon sliced, or some fresh parsley, will make a good garnish for sweetbread croquettes. BRAIN CROQUETTES. Can be made in the same way. BROILED SWEETBREADS. For this dish, the sweetbreads may be used either blanched or simply washed and trimmed. Split them, dip them in butter melted and seasoned with pepper and salt, lay them between the bars of a double wire gridiron, and broil them over a hot fire until they are a delicate brown color on both sides; serve them hot at once, as they deteriorate by standing after they are cooked. FRIED SWEETBREADS. Prepare the sweetbreads by blanching them; cut them across in slices half an inch thick, and season them lightly with pepper and salt; have ready over the fire a frying-kettle half full of smoking-hot fat; roll the slices of sweetbread in finely sifted cracker or bread crumbs, dip them in beaten egg, roll them again in the crumbs, and then fry them golden brown in the hot fat; when they are done, remove them from the fat with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, and then serve them hot. SWEETBREADS IN THE CHAFING-DISH. If sweetbreads are prepared as directed in the preceding recipe until they are ready to fry, they can be quickly browned at the table in a chafing-dish, just enough butter being used to prevent burning. The more quickly sweetbreads are fried, the better they are; hence the advantage of cooking them in a chafing-dish. RAGOûT OF SWEETBREADS AND MUSHROOMS FOR VOL-AU-VENT. To make this ragoût, used canned button mushrooms, and sweetbreads blanched according to directions given elsewhere. Cut the mushrooms and sweetbreads into half-inch pieces. For a quart vol-au-vent case, use a can of mushrooms and two large or four small sweetbreads; put over the fire, in a thick saucepan, two tablespoonfuls each of flour and butter, and stir them until they begin to bubble; then gradually stir in the liquor in which the mushrooms were canned, and enough white broth, cream, or milk to make a sauce thick enough to coat the spoon; put the sweetbreads and mushrooms into this sauce, season it palatably with salt and white pepper, and let it simmer until the sweetbreads are entirely white and tender; if they are good this will be in about five minutes, as they will have been partly cooked in blanching; the mushrooms are cooked in canning. If when the ragoût is done, it has become too thick, thin it with a little milk, and see that it is palatably seasoned; add to it the beaten yolks of two raw eggs, and a glass of wine, and use it for a vol-au-vent as directed in the recipe for ragoût of oysters for vol-au-vent. HOW TO BOIL CALF'S HEAD AND FEET. Have the butcher remove the hair (by scalding and scraping) and the teeth and eyes from the head, and split it in two pieces without cutting the tongue or brains; lay the brains in cold water containing a handful of salt, until it is time to cook them; thoroughly wash the head in plenty of cold water, carefully scraping the interior of the nasal passage and the mouth; have the butcher remove the hair from the feet, by scalding and scraping them, and split them in halves; put the head, feet, and tongue, over the fire in enough cold water to cover them, with a heaping tablespoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of whole peppercorns, or a small red pepper, and boil them until the bones can be pulled out easily; the broth in which the head is boiled is to be strained, and saved for soup; the tongue is to be taken up as soon as it is tender, the skin stripped off, and the tongue wrapped in a wet cloth and kept in a cool place until it is wanted. After the brains have lain for an hour in cold water, pull off all the outer membrane, being careful not to break the substance of the brain in removing the membrane from between the folds. When the brain is quite freed from the membrane, put it over the fire in enough cold water to cover it, with a teaspoonful each of salt and whole peppercorns, and let it boil for ten or fifteen minutes; then cool it, wrap it in a wet cloth, and keep it in a cool place until it is wanted for forcemeat balls for garnishing the calf's head, made by mixing it with an equal quantity of bread-crumbs, two raw eggs, and salt and pepper, and then either frying or poaching them. If it is desired, the brain may be heated in any good sauce, and served as a separate dish; or the brain may be made into fritters or croquettes, like sweetbread croquettes. Recipes follow for serving the tongue and head and feet. CALF'S HEAD LIKE TURTLE. After a calf's head has been cleaned according to the directions given in the recipe for boiling it, and boiled until tender, it is to be separated into four or six large pieces, the ears cut as shown in the picture, being the centre of two pieces. One large piece from the cheek should be larded, and the brains should be blanched. Four large crawfish should be boiled as directed in the recipe for boiling lobsters; and some quenelles made from chicken, as directed in the proper recipe. When all these preparations are finished, make a quart of brown mushroom sauce, according to the recipe given elsewhere; and boil six eggs hard, and remove the yolks entire. Brown the larded head in a hot oven, heat the rest of the head in the mushroom sauce, and then arrange the dish as shown in the annexed cut, using a small dish set in a large one for the border, or make the border of freshly baked puff-paste. The quenelles, brains, and egg-yolks are heated with the head, and form the ragoût which surrounds the large pieces. Calf's Head like Turtle. An illustration of a calf's head in a dish. BROILED CALF'S HEAD. Have ready in a small bowl two tablespoonfuls of butter melted, a saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper; into this mixture dip pieces of boiled calf's head, and then broil them between the bars of a double wire gridiron over a very hot fire. Serve the dish very hot, with a lemon quartered, or a few sprigs of parsley dipped in vinegar. The feet may be broiled in the same way, or breaded first, or breaded and fried, or stewed in white or brown sauce. CALF'S BRAINS. Blanch the brains as directed in the recipe for boiling calf's head. Slice them half an inch thick; put them into a frying-pan containing half an inch of smoking-hot butter, and quickly fry them brown, taking care not to break them in turning; when they are nicely browned, season them with salt and pepper, and serve them hot. Or, blanch and slice the brains, and broil them. FRIED BRAINS. Have the brains prepared as for frying, and then quickly brown them in a chafing-dish at the table, using just enough butter to prevent burning, and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Like sweetbreads, they are best when quickly cooked. CALF'S TONGUE AND BRAINS. Heat in hot water a boiled tongue, and a brain cooked as directed in the recipe for boiled calf's head, keeping the brain as whole as possible. Make a brown gravy by stirring a tablespoonful each of butter and flour over the fire until light brown, and then gradually stirring in a pint of boiling water; season the gravy with a level teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a gill of vinegar; lay the tongue and brain in a hot dish, pour the gravy over them, and serve them at once. Or, serve them with tartar sauce, which is made by mixing with a cupful of mayonnaise, a saltspoonful of dry mustard, a tablespoonful each of chopped parsley, capers, and pickles, and a teaspoonful of grated onion. LAMB CUTLETS WITH FIANCIèRE RAGOûT. Make a sauce as directed in the recipe for sweetbread and mushroom ragoût, using mushroom essence and white broth. Prepare a cupful each of sweetbreads and mushrooms as there directed; cut in pieces a cupful of canned cockscombs, or blanch some fresh ones just as sweetbreads are blanched; slice a small can of truffles, or enough to make a cupful; use the same quantity of cock's kidneys, which may be fresh ones blanched like sweetbreads, or canned kidneys; put all these ingredients into the sauce, season it palatably with salt and white pepper, and simmer the ragoût gently for about fifteen minutes; then add a gill of good Madeira, and use the ragoût. This is a very expensive dish, and one not generally used, because the ingredients cannot always be obtained, although in large cities the truffles and cockscombs and kidneys can be bought canned. Lamb cutlets may be broiled and served with this ragoût, or breaded and fried, and then garnished with it. BROILED LAMB CUTLETS WITH MINT SAUCE. Mix together on a platter four heaping tablespoonfuls of finely chopped fresh mint, one of sugar, and four of vinegar; lay lean lamb cutlets on this dressing or pickle, dust them with pepper, let them stand half an hour, and then turn them; at the end of an hour, put them, without wiping them, between the bars of a buttered double wire gridiron, and broil them quickly over a hot fire; while the cutlets are being broiled, turn the chopped mint from the dish into a saucepan with two more tablespoonfuls of sugar and four of vinegar, let these ingredients boil once, and then serve the sauce with the cutlets; the broiled cutlets are to be served hot, as soon as they are done, on a hot dish, with a little salt, pepper, and butter over them. Lamb cutlets may be broiled plain, and dressed with salt, pepper, and butter. LAMB CUTLETS IN PAPER. The accompanying engraving shows a cutlet, trimmed from the rack or neck, and laid upon a sheet of buttered or oiled writing-paper, cut in the shape of a very wide heart, ready to be enveloped in the paper; this is done by a series of little folds turned from the edges of the paper, after it is folded over the cutlet, toward the middle, somewhat like a hem upon a piece of cloth. Only very delicate cutlets are cooked in paper, or small, choice pieces of fish or game; all the juice is preserved by the paper. The oil or butter applied to the paper prevents its burning if the cutlet is cooked over a moderate fire. A thin cutlet, or a small bird, generally requires about fifteen minutes to cook medium rare. Articles enclosed in paper for cooking should be served without removing the paper; and then, Cutlets in Paper An Illustration of cutlets inside paper. when the paper is cut, all the gravy or juice of the cutlet will be upon the plate. A little care will enable any one to cook papered dishes successfully. FRIZZLED MUTTON. Shave a pound of mutton from a leg which has hung at least six weeks; put over the fire in a fying-pan two tablespoonfuls each of butter and currant-jelly , and when they are melted, put in the shaved mutton; season it rather highly with salt and pepper, add to it a tablespoonful of French mustard, and let it cook for five minutes, stirring it to prevent burning and insure even cooking. Serve it very hot. Frizzled mutton can be cooked in a chafing-dish at the table. BROILED MUTTON CHOPS. After the chops are trimmed, put them as close to the fire as possible, and quickly brown them on both sides; after the chops are browned, move the gridiron containing them far enough from the fire to prevent burning, and cook them to the desired degree; at a hot fire, chops an inch thick will cook medium rare in about ten minutes; after the chops are done, season them with salt and pepper, put a little butter over them, and serve them hot. FRIED MUTTON CHOPS. Put a frying-pan over the fire, and heat it so that the chops will siss when they are put into it. After the chops are trimmed, put them into the hot pan, and quickly brown them on both sides; chops generally have enough fat upon them to prevent burning; when the fat is excessive, most of it should be cut off, and tried out to use as drippings; after the chops are cooked to the desired degree, season them with salt, pepper, and a little butter, and serve them hot. If the pan is hot enough, they will cook medium rare in about twelve minutes. PAPER FRILLS FOR THE BONES OF CHOPS, ETC. A little practice will enable any one, with a careful touch, to make quite pretty paper frills for garnishing. To make the frill shown in the first figure of the illustration, cut a strip of paper twelve inches long and four wide; fold it lengthwise, holding the folded side towards you, and with scissors cut inward along the folded edge to the depth of an inch, making a sort of double fringe; fold the paper Paper Frills for Garnishing Meat-Bones. An Illustration of paper frills used to garnish meat bones. around the end of a pencil, as shown in the cut, and secure it with gum. To make the double frill at the bottom of the picture, cut a circle of paper, six or seven inches in diameter; fold it through the middle, and repeat the folding three times more until a long triangle is formed of sixteen thicknesses of paper; take the folds between the left thumb and forefinger; with scissors cut from the lower ends of the folds, a curve to half way up the other side of the triangle, which shows only one fold; with the aid of the closed scissors, or the back of a small knife-blade, make a succession of small, scallop-like folds along the curved cut just made, pressing the folds from the lower end, where the cut began, up towards the point of the triangle, so as to give the edges of the curves a crimped appearance; if the crimps are made small and tight enough, they will retain their form when the circle of paper is unfolded, as shown by the lettered points in the second figure of the illustration; by refolding them a little it will be possible to make the completed frill, the first figure being run into a hole cut in the middle of the crimped circle. PORK CHOPS AND APPLES. Wash, and wipe dry, six large sound apples of sub-acid flavor; cut them in eighths, and remove the cores. Trim away most of the bone from two pounds of fresh pork chops, cut from the loin; place a dripping-pan, containing a tablespoonful of fat, over the fire, and as soon as the fat begins to smoke, put the chops and apples into the pan, season them with salt and pepper, and fry them brown on both sides. Serve them neatly arranged on a hot platter. MINCED FRESH PORK. Chop very fine two pounds of lean fresh pork; break half a pound of stale bread, and soak it soft in three- quarters of a pint of milk; mix together the minced pork, soaked bread, two well-beaten eggs, and a palatable seasoning of pepper, salt, and powdered sage; put the mixture into a buttered earthen baking-dish, place it in a moderate oven, and bake it for two hours; serve the dish hot. Fried apples make a good accompaniment for this dish. FRIED SOUR APPLES. Choose very firm, sound, sour apples; wash and wipe them, cut them in quarters, and take out the cores; put the frying-pan over the fire with half an inch of fat in it, and when the fat is smoking hot, put in the apples, and fry them brown, turning them carefully to prevent breaking; just before they are quite brown, dust them with sugar; when they are done, take them up without breaking, and serve them hot as a vegetable. JOWL. Wash a jowl in plenty of cold water; put it over the fire in more cold water, and boil it gently for an hour. Then slice it half an inch thick, and broil it over a rather slow fire, to avoid burning it. When it is brown, dust it with pepper, and serve it on toast for breakfast. Boiled jowl with boiled greens or cabbage is a favorite dinner in the South and West. FRIED SALT PORK AND APPLES. Slice a pound of salt pork about a quarter of an inch thick, put it over the fire in plenty of boiling water, and boil it for half an hour; then drain it, and roll it in Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper; put into a large pan enough drippings to cover the bottom, and while it is heating cut some sour apples in eighths, without peeling them, and remove the cores; when the drippings are hot, put in the pork and apples, and fry them together until the apples are just tender, but not at all broken, and the pork is brown; serve them on the same dish: the drippings may be poured over them unless this is likely to make the dish too fat. CORNED-BEEF HASH, NEW-ENGLAND STYLE. Remove all cartilage and skin from cold corned beef, but do not take away the fat, and then chop it fine. Chop an equal quantity by measure of cold boiled potatoes ; season the beef and potatoes rather highly, put them into a frying-pan containing two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, and stir the hash until it is quite hot. Then move it to one side of the pan, press it firmly together in an oblong cake, and let the bottom brown. When the bottom is nicely browned, turn the hash out on a hot dish without disturbing its shape, and serve it hot. FRIZZLED BEEF. Cut a pound of smoked beef in very thin slices, put it over the fire, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and let it begin to boil. Then drain off the water, and replace it with a pint of cold milk. While the milk is heating, rub to a smooth paste a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir it with the beef and milk; season it with pepper, and let it boil gently for one minute, stirring it constantly. Serve the frizzled beef hot, on toast. Frizzled beef is also parboiled, as directed above, and then drained, and warmed with eggs and butter, the beef being stirred with the eggs, and highly seasoned with salt and pepper. The beef may be frizzled in a chafing-dish at the table. FRIZZLED HAM. Shave a pound of ham as thin as dried beef; put a frying-pan over the fire, and let it get smoking hot; then put in the ham, and stir it for two or three minutes; next dust it with dry flour, and stir it until the flour is brown. While the flour is browning, mix a tablespoonful each of dry mustard and vinegar together. When the flour is brown, add the mustard and vinegar, and enough boiling water to cover the ham; let it boil gently for a moment, and then serve the dish for breakfast or supper. It may be prepared at the table in a chafing-dish. Eggs may be cooked with the ham, in place of the flour and water. FRIED HAM. Slice ham, put it over the fire in enough cold water to cover it, and let the water heat; when the water is hot, pour it off the ham, put the ham over the fire, and fry it slowly until it is brown on both sides. Then season it with pepper, and serve it. Eggs are usually served with fried ham. They can be fried in the same pan, or separately, in enough fat to prevent burning, and seasoned with salt and pepper. BROILED HAM. Either freshen ham by soaking it in ice cold water over night, or by heating it in enough water to cover it. Then wipe the ham dry, put it between the bars of a gridiron, and brown it slightly on both sides; season it with pepper, and serve it plain, or with fried eggs. GAME PIE. Bone a partridge and a quail as directed in the recipe for boning, and make the forcemeat described in the recipe for boned turkey. Make a good pastry according to the recipe for pastry for meat and game pies. Use for the pie such a mould as is shown in the first picture given here, spreading it very thickly with cold butter. Roll out a large round of pastry about half an inch thick, set the mould on a buttered plate, and lay the pastry in it. Use the fingers to press the pastry firmly into every depression of the mould, and then trim it off just above the upper rim, so that the upper crust may be laid against it. Line the bottom and sides of the mould with forcemeat, fill the quail with forcemeat, and put it into the partridge, filling the space between the two birds with forcemeat. Then lay the partridge in the mould, and fill all the empty portion with forcemeat. Wet the upper Mould for Game Pie. An Illustration of a mould for game pie. Game Pie Baked in a Mould. An Illustration of a game pie baked in a mould. edge of the side crust with cold water, where it lies over the rim of the mould, and put on a thick upper crust. Cut or ornament the upper crust, making apertures for the escape of steam, brush it with beaten egg, and cover it with buttered paper. Bake the pie slowly for three hours; then brown it; use it either hot or cold. There will be no difficulty in taking it from the mould, if it has been well buttered; for it opens at both ends when the wire fastenings are pulled out. REED-BIRD PIE. Pluck and dress the birds, leaving them whole; either stuff them with veal and ham, bread-crumbs, or oysters. Line an earthen baking-dish with a nice pastry, made as directed elsewhere. Put the birds into the dish, in layers, with flour, butter, wine, or gravy, and seasonings, allowing to each dozen birds a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, a glass of wine, and a cupful of gravy, and a rather high seasoning of salt, pepper, and powdered spice. Cover the birds with pastry, wetting the edges of the crust to make them adhere. Cut some places in the crust to permit the escape of steam while the pie is baking, brush it with beaten egg, and bake it in a moderate oven until it is nicely browned. Reed-birds may be roasted, broiled, or stewed in brown sauce. STEWED SNIPE. Pluck the birds carefully, cut off the heads and feet, remove the gizzards only, and wipe the birds on a clean towel. For a dozen snipe put two heaping teaspoonfuls of butter in a saucepan, and let it get smoking hot, then put in the snipe, and quickly brown them. When the snipe are brown, dust over them a tablespoonful of dry flour, and stir them about until the flour is brown. When the flour is brown, cover the birds with boiling water, season them palatably with salt and pepper, and let them cook gently for fifteen minutes. Meantime, make a dozen small slices of toast; and in dishing the birds, put one on each slice, and pour a little of the sauce in which they were cooked over them. Serve the rest of the sauce in a sauce -dish. Any small birds can be cooked in this way. PRAIRIE CHICKENS STEWED WHOLE. Skin the birds, cut off the head and feet, draw them without breaking the intestines, and truss them so that they will be short and plump. Put them into a large saucepan with sufficient butter to prevent burning, and brown them; when the birds are brown, add for each one a tablespoonful of dry flour, and stir them about until the flour is brown. Then put in a gill of tomato-catsup for each bird, enough boiling water to cover them, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and cook them slowly for two hours, or until they are tender. Serve the birds with their sauce and plain boiled potatoes . BOILED PARTRIDGE WITH CREAM SAUCE. Pluck, singe, and draw the birds without breaking the entrails. Wipe them with a wet towel, and put them over the fire in sufficient boiling water to cover them, with a level tablespoonful of salt; boil them steadily and gently for fifteen minutes. Meantime, put half a pint of thick cream in a saucepan set in a pan of boiling water, add to it a tablespoonful of butter, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and stir one way until the butter is melted. Then leave the sauce where it will keep hot. When the partridges are done, put them on a hot dish, dry them with a soft cloth, pour the cream sauce over them, and serve them hot. STEWED SQUIRRELS. Skin two pairs of fat squirrels, wash them quickly in cold water, or carefully wipe them with a wet cloth to remove the hairs, and cut them in quarters, rejecting the intestines. Put a layer of slices of fat salt pork in a saucepan, then place the squirrels in the saucepan, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and either a little more salt pork, or a quarter of a pound of good beef or veal dripping, or butter; add enough water to prevent burning, cover the saucepan, and cook the squirrels gently until the meat is tender. When the squirrels are nearly done, uncover the saucepan, so that the water in which they were cooked can stew away. Then put in enough cream or good milk to moisten them, let them heat again, see that they are palatably seasoned, and then serve them hot. SQUIRREL-PIE. After a pair of squirrels have been skinned, wipe them all over with a wet cloth to remove the hairs, and cut them in joints, saving the blood, and removing the entrails. The liver, heart, and kidneys may be used. Chop a pound of beef-suet fine, rejecting all the membrane; mix it with a pound and a half of flour, two level teaspoonfuls of salt, and a level saltspoonful of pepper. Butter an earthen baking-dish; add enough cold water to the suet and flour, to make a crust which can be rolled out about three-quarters of an inch thick. Line the dish with the crust, put in the squirrel meat and blood, adding enough cold water to half fill the pie; season it highly with salt and pepper, and cover with the crust, wetting all the edges to make them adhere so closely that the gravy cannot escape. In the middle of the top crust, cut a little slit, to permit the escape of the steam while the pie is being baked. Bake the pie in a moderate oven for about two hours; when the crust is nearly brown enough, cover it with buttered paper. When the pie is done, serve it hot in the dish in which it was baked. FRICASSEE OF RABBITS. Carefully skin a pair of rabbits; draw them; wash the inside with half a cupful of vinegar, and save it, together with the blood, after straining them through a fine cloth to free them from any fur which might get mixed with them; wipe the rabbits with a wet cloth to free them from fur, and cut them in small pieces about two inches square, and roll them in flour seasoned with salt and pepper; peel and slice one Spanish onion or half a dozen white ones; put them into a frying-pan with two tablespoonfuls of butter and the rabbits, and quickly brown them; then pour in a cupful of milk and sufficient boiling water to cover them, season them with salt and cayenne, cover the frying-pan, and stew them gently for about half an hour, or until they are tender, then serve the fricassee very hot. Rabbits and squirrels may be roasted and baked like hare. VENISON IN CHAFING-DISH. Use small slices of venison about a quarter of an inch thick. Put into a chafing-dish butter and currant-jelly in equal parts, enough to cover the bottom of the dish. Season the venison with salt and pepper, lay it in the dish, cook it for three minutes on each side, and then serve it. As this dish can be prepared at the table, it is very desirable. FOREST CITY SAUCE. A delicious sauce for venison can be made by smoothly blending a tablespoonful of dry mustard with half a glass of currant-jelly . Keep the sauce in a cool place until it is wanted for the table. FRIZZLED VENISON. Shave about a pound of venison from the leg, or from any lean part of the carcass; put in a frying-pan over the fire a heaping tablespoonful of butter and two of currant-jelly , and when they are hot put in the shaved venison; season it rather highly with pepper and salt, and cook it for about five minutes, stirring it frequently; serve at once very hot. The venison may be frizzled at the table in a chafing-dish. PASTRY FOR MEAT AND GAME PIES. Use half a pound of butter to a pound of flour; chop one-half the butter into the flour; add a level teaspoonful of salt, and enough cold water to mix it to a smooth paste, just soft enough to roll out. If ice-water is used, and the pastry is mixed with a knife instead of the hand, it can be kept cooler, and will be lighter and more delicate than if mixed with the hands. In all the making, touch the pastry as little and as lightly as possible with the hands, because heating it and pressing heavily upon it make it dense and tough. After the pastry is mixed, and rolled about half an inch thick, dredge it with flour, cut half the remaining butter in slices, and lay it on the pastry, leaving a space of about an inch all around the edges; dredge it with flour, cut half the remaining butter in slices, and lay it on the pastry, leaving a space of about an inch all around the edges; dredge the butter with flour, turn the edges in all around to enclose the outside layers of butter, and then double the pastry, and again roll it out about half an inch thick; put the rest of the butter on it in slices, dredge it with flour, fold in the edges, double it, and roll it out as already directed; work very quickly and lightly, touching the pastry as little as possible, and in the coldest place about the kitchen. Remember that it is heating and pressing pastry that make it heavy and soggy. If any pastry remains after the pie is made, wrap it in flour ed cloth, and keep it in a cool, dry place: it will keep quite well for several days, and requires only to be rolled out two or three times before using it to make it quite light. VENISON PIE. Make a good plain pastry as directed in the preceding recipe, and line an earthen pudding-dish with it, a quarter of an inch thick. Chop very fine enough beef-suet to make a quarter-inch layer next the crust, at the bottom and top of the pie. Cut the venison from the bones, and divide it in pieces about an inch square; season it rather highly with salt, pepper, and ground cloves, and lay it in the dish; pour over it a glass of red wine for every two pounds of venison; cover it with a layer of chopped suet, and then with pastry, as shown in the accompanying illustration, wetting the edges of the upper and under crusts to make them adhere. Cut several places in the top crust to permit the escape of steam in baking, and brush the crust with beaten egg. Bake the pie in a moderately hot oven for two hours, or until the venison is tender; this can be ascertained by thrusting a skewer into the meat through one of the cuts in the top crust. While the pie is being baked, stew the bones of the venison in enough water to cover them, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper. When the pie is done, pour the gravy thus made into it through the cuts in the top crust, and serve it hot. VENISON PASTY. The old English venison pasty was made in a very large dish, simply because of the number of persons generally included in a household. A very good small one can be made in such a dish as is shown in the picture accompanying the preceding recipe. The pastry should not be too rich. A good recipe has been given for pastry for meat and game pies; it should be about a quarter of an inch thick when it is placed on the pie, and should be protected with buttered paper until the last half-hour of baking. Cut the venison in small slices, and lay it in a deep dish, with slices of venison or mutton fat between the slices of venison, seasoning the layers of meat with salt, pepper, and powdered allspice; pour into the dish a gravy made by stewing the trimmings of venison in water enough to cover them, with salt and pepper, for an hour, or with any good meat-broth and claret mixed in equal proportions; a teaspoonful of lemon-juice and a gill of port-wine may be substituted for the claret. When no wine is used, a very little chopped onion is put into English venison pasties. If the venison is tender, the crust may be put on the pie at once; otherwise it is well to bake the venison for an hour before covering the pasty. Either use a bottom crust, or run a strip of pastry around the sides of the dish, and wet the edges to make the upper crust adhere. Make a groove in the top crust as shown in the picture; cut several slits to permit the escape of steam; brush the crust with beaten egg, and bake the pasty slowly for two hours. Use it hot or cold. Venison Pasty. An Illustration of a venison pasty. BROILED SPRING CHICKEN WITH CAULIFLOWER. While a spring chicken is being broiled in accordance with the recipe given for that dish, boil a fine cauliflower as directed in the proper recipe; and also prepare a sauce as directed in the recipe for Dutch sauce. When all these ingredients are ready, carve the chicken quickly in such pieces as are shown in the accompanying engraving, and garnish it with the cauliflower in branches, just moistened with the sauce; serve it at once, with the sauce in a sauce-bowl. The success of this dish depends upon having all parts of it ready at one time, and upon serving it as soon as it is done. Spring Chickens Carved. An Illustration of a platter of spring chickens, carved. SPRING CHICKEN FRIED IN CREAM. After the chicken is plucked, singed, wiped with a wet towel, and cut in joints, put a pint of cream into a large frying-pan, and place it over a moderate fire until it begins to color; then put in the chicken, and fry it until the under side is of a delicate brown color; now dip out part of the cream, and turn the chicken; season it with pepper, and finish cooking it; when the chicken is done, put it on a hot dish, pour into the frying-pan the cream which was taken out, stir it well with what remains in the pan, let it boil once, and serve it with the fried chicken, after sprinkling it with salt. Small spring chicken may be breaded, either whole or in quarters, and fried brown in plenty of smoking-hot fat. CHICKEN FRIED WITH OKRA. This dish is sometimes called chicken gumbo. To prepare it, clean a very tender chicken, and cut it in joints suitable for frying; season it with salt and pepper, and roll it in flour; wash two dozen pods of okra, and slice them thin, throwing away the stems; peel and slice one medium-sized onion, cut a quarter of a pound of ham in half-inch dice, chop fine one small red or green fresh pepper. First, fry the chicken and ham brown, putting them into enough smoking-hot lard to half cover them; then add the okra, onion, and pepper, and sufficient broth, cold gravy, or boiling water to cover all these ingredients; season them palatably with salt, and stew them gently until both chicken and vegetables are quite tender; if, while cooking, the broth becomes thicker than ordinary gravy, add to it a little boiling water. Fried oysters are sometimes added to the gumbo just before serving. A dish of plain boiled rice is usually served with chicken gumbo. BOILED RICE. Put a cupful of rice over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil it until the grains begin to burst, which will be in about ten or twelve minutes; then drain it, and set the saucepan containing it where the rice will keep hot without burning, and steam it for ten minutes. A folded cloth laid over the saucepan will keep the rice hot without making it watery; or the saucepan can be put into a moderate oven, uncovered. The rice will be ready to use as soon as it is tender. CHICKEN FRIED WITH SALT PORK. After a very tender chicken is cleaned and cut up, roll the pieces in flour seasoned with salt and pepper; slice half a pound of fat salt pork in thin slices, put it into a frying-pan, and fry it brown; then take it up, and keep it hot; put the chicken into the drippings, and fry it brown. When the chicken is brown, cover it with boiling water, season the gravy palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil for a moment, and then serve the chicken and fried pork on the same dish, sending the gravy to the table in a bowl. FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN. Pluck and singe a fowl, wipe it with a wet towel, draw it carefully, and cut it in joints. Cut a quarter of a pound of salt pork in half-inch dice; peel and chop a medium-sized white onion; put the chicken, pork, and onion in a saucepan, cover them with boiling water, add a level teaspoonful of salt and quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and stew the chicken gently until it is tender. When the chicken is tender, mix two tablespoonfuls of flour to a smooth paste with a cupful of milk, and add it to the fricassee. Let it boil for two minutes, then stir in the yolks of two raw eggs, and serve it at once. PULLET WITH TOULOUSE RAGOûT. Dress a fat pullet carefully truss it with the wings and legs close to the body, and put it over the fire to simmer gently in just enough hot water or broth to cover it. While it is being cooked, make a ragoût as follows: Boil until tender a large sweetbread and two cockscombs, and cut them in small slices; slice half a cupful of truffles; cut the tops from a can of button mushrooms, and make a cupful of chicken quenelles according to the recipe given below; put all these ingredients into enough white sauce to cover them, and simmer them for ten minutes. When the pullet is tender, remove the trussing-cords, and serve it hot with the Toulouse ragoût for a garnish. CHICKEN QUENELLES. Mix together half a cupful each of the soft part of bread and of finely chopped or pounded chicken-meat cooked; season the mixture highly with salt and cayenne, and moisten it with enough raw yolk of egg to bind it so that little olive-shaped pieces can be moulded between two small spoons; either roll the quenelles in egg and cracker>-dust and fry them, or poach them until they float in boiling broth or water, and then use them. CHICKEN-PIE. Carefully pluck and singe a fowl weighing four or five pounds, wipe it with a wet towel, draw it without breaking the intestines, and boil it gently in enough boiling water to cover it until it begins to grow tender; save the heart, liver, and fleshy portion of the gizzard, and the broth which the chicken yields in boiling. When the chicken is sufficiently done, take it up, cut it in joints as for a fricassee, or in pieces of a size suitable for the pie; slice a quarter of a pound of fat pork thin, and fry it with the chicken until they are light brown, seasoning both palatably with salt and pepper. After the chicken and pork are fried, take them up, and stir into the pan in which they were cooked a tablespoonful of flour; stir it over the fire until it is brown, then add to it a pint of the chicken-broth, a level teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper; stir this gravy until it has boiled for two minutes, and use it for the pie. To make the crust for the chicken-pie, mix together in a bowl, with a knife, a pound of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of butter, and just enough cold water to hold the flour together; put the paste, made in this way, upon a flour ed pastry-board, and roll it out about an inch thick; then cut a quarter of a pound of good, firm butter in large slices, and lay them all over the paste, fold it together in such a way that the butter is enclosed in the paste, wrap the paste in a flour ed towel, and put it in a cool place for half an hour. At the end of half an hour, roll out the paste, cut a quarter of a pound of firm butter in large slices, lay them on the paste, fold it so as to enclose them, and, after wrapping it in a flour ed towel, keep it again in a cool place for half an hour. Then roll it out to the thickness of half an inch, fold it in three thicknesses, and roll it out again. If the butter breaks through the paste, again wrap it in a flour ed towel, and cool it for half an hour before rolling it out and using it for the pie. If the butter does not break through, roll and fold the paste again, and then use it to line a deep earthen dish. This pastry can be made for the upper crust, and a plainer one for the under part, if that is desirable. After the dish is lined with pastry, put the fried chicken and pork in, in layers; pour over them sufficient gravy to moisten them; cover them with a top crust, wetting the edges of the crust to make them adhere; cut the top crust to permit the steam to escape from the pie while it is being baked; brush it over with beaten egg, and bake it brown in a moderate oven. If any gravy is made in excess of what is used in the pie, heat it, and send it to table with the pie; indeed, it is always advisable to have plenty of gravy to serve with the pie. CHICKEN CROQUETTES. Use cold roast or boiled chicken, chopped not too fine, three-quarters of a pound to a quarter of a pound, or half a can, of mushrooms cut in small dice. Put into a saucepan a teaspoonful of grated onion and a tablespoonful of butter, and let them begin to brown; then stir in two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, and half a pint of chicken broth or water, or of water mixed with the liquor of the canned mushrooms; then add the chopped chicken and mushrooms, a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and a glass of sherry or madeira; stir the croquette mixture until it begins to boil; then draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, and stir in the yolks of four raw eggs; after the eggs are added, pour the croquette mixture upon an oiled dish, and cool it. After the croquette mixture is cold, fry the croquettes as follows: Have ready a deep bowl containing two eggs beaten smooth; a large platter full of cracker-dust or fine bread-crumbs; and, over the fire, a frying-kettle half full of fat; wet the hands with cold water, form the croquettes like large corks, handling them very lightly and quickly; roll the croquettes in crumbs, then dip them in the beaten eggs, and again roll them in crumbs, and fry them golden brown in the smoking-hot fat. When the croquettes are done, take them out of the fat with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, and then arrange them as shown in the accompanying illustration, and serve them hot. Chicken Croquettes. An Illustration of a bowl of chicken croquettes. The shaping of the croquettes requires a very light, deft touch, because, to be good, they should be very soft. A little practice will enable any careful person to make them successfully. TURKEY-HASH. Remove the skin and bone from cold roast turkey, and chop it rather fine; put with the meat any cold stuffing and gravy on hand, or hot water enough to moisten it, and a palatable seasoning of salt, pepper, and any powdered herb except sage; put two tablespoonfuls of butter into a frying-pan, put in the hash, set the pan over the fire, and stir the hash until it is very hot. Just before the hash is done, poach three or four eggs by breaking them into boiling salted water; as soon as the hash is taken up, put the poached eggs on it, and serve it at once. The turkey-hash may be served without the poached eggs. STEWED OR POTTED PIGEONS. Carefully pluck half a dozen pigeons; singe them, wipe them with a wet towel, and cut off the head and feet; in drawing them, take care not to break the entrails, and save the hearts, livers, and gizzards; put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan, let it get smoking hot, then put in the pigeons, and brown them; when they are brown, dust over them a tablespoonful of dry flour, and move them about until the flour is brown; then cover them with boiling water, season them palatably with salt and pepper, and simmer them gently until they are tender. Meantime, shell enough very young green pease to fill a pint-measure; if the pods of the pease are not clean, wash them before shelling, but do not wash the shelled pease. When the pigeons are tender, put the pease with them, and continue to cook them until the pease are just tender; then serve the pigeons in a deep platter, with the pease under them. Or, simply stew the pigeons until tender, and serve them without the pease. The pigeons may be stuffed with any good forcemeat before they are cooked. Sometimes they are tied up in thin slices of salt pork or bacon before they are stewed, the bacon being served with them. The gravy in which they are cooked is served with them. SQUAB-PIE. Make a good pastry according to any of the recipes already given, and line a deep earthen dish with it; cut a pound of the breast of tender veal in slices half an inch thick, after first taking out the bones, and put a layer of the meat around the sides and on the bottom of the dish; carefully pluck six squabs, cut off the heads and feet, singe and draw them, and wipe them with a wet towel; chop the livers and gizzards fine, with an equal weight of fat salt pork or bacon; add to them then an equal measure of fine breadcrumbs, one raw egg, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and use this forcemeat to stuff the squabs; lay them in the dish prepared as directed above, and put over them the rest of the sliced veal; put over the fire in a frying-pan a dessertspoonful each of flour and butter, stir them until they are brown, then stir with them a cupful and a half of boiling water and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; when this sauce boils, pour it into the squab-pie , and cover the pie with an upper crust of pastry, wetting the edges to make them adhere; cut several slits in the upper crust, and brush it over with beaten egg. Bake the pie for two hours in a moderate oven, taking care that it does not burn; if the crust browns too quickly, cover it with buttered paper, and moderate the heat of the oven. Serve the pie hot or cold. FOIE-GRAS WITH TRUFFLES. This dish is not usual in America, because generally both the foie-gras, or fat goose-liver, and the truffles are imported in jars or cans. The fresh truffles are seldom obtainable, the few which are brought being for special use; but those in cans will serve for the dish. Occasionally it is possible to obtain a fresh fat liver in some of the cities where there is a large German population. The liver is cleansed carefully, and semicircular cuts are made to receive slices of truffles, as shown in the engraving; it is then braised in broth, with a little madeira and seasoning, and served with a garnish of truffles stewed in the same wine, or in a rich brown sauce made with wine. The canned truffles need no preparation for cooking, and their liquor is used for the sauce; fresh truffles should be carefully washed in plenty of cold water, with a soft brush, and then stewed whole. Foie-Gras with Truffles. An Illustration of a plate of Foie-Gras with Truffles. TRUFFLES. Fresh truffles are sometimes boiled or baked, like potatoes , and served hot, covered with a folded napkin, as a vegetable course. CHAPTER VI. REMOVES OF MEAT AND POULTRY (RelevÉs). IN this course, the large dishes of meat and poultry, which are boiled or baked, belong; but the baked poultry has been classed among the roasts, because in many houses there are no arrangements for roasting, and poultry baked in a very hot oven is nearly as good as that roasted before the fire. In family dinners, the meat dishes belonging in this course generally form the bulk of the dinner; the soup or fish being frequently omitted, and the joint accompanied by one or more vegetables, and followed by a plain dessert. Ribs of Beef, Untrimmed. An Illustration of Ribs of Beef, untrimmed. RIBS OF BEEF BONED AND ROLLED. The favorite roasting-piece of beef in America is the rib cut. The first engraving given here shows the first cut of the ribs as they are taken from the fore-quarter of beef. The second picture shows the ribs cut short, and trimmed ready for roasting. The third is a number of ribs boned and rolled by the butcher. All the trimmings should be sent home with the boned ribs, to be used for soups or sauces; sometimes the ends of the ribs only are sawed off and removed. When all the bones are taken out, and the roll of meat is tied very tight, it will remain in place after cooking, and can be carved more easily and economically than when the bones remain. The rolled ribs may be roasted, baked, or braised, according to the general directions for such operations, and served with any chosen gravy or garnish, or with a plain green salad. Ribs of Beef, Trimmed. An illustration of ribs of beef, trimmed. Ribs of Beef, Boned and Rolled. An illustration of ribs of beef, boned and rolled. BAKED BEEF. After beef has been prepared by the butcher, wipe it with a wet cloth, put it in a very hot oven in a dripping-pan, and brown it quickly. After the beef is brown, season it with salt and pepper. If a frothed surface is desired, dredge the beef with dry flour, and pour over it several spoonfuls of the drippings in the pan every fifteen minutes while it is being baked. Do not put any water in the pan: if the beef is not fat enough to yield drippings, use a little butter, or a slice of bacon or salt pork if their flavor is desired. After the beef is done to the desired degree, make the gravy as directed in the recipe for roast beef. In a hot oven, fifteen minutes to a pound will bake beef medium rare. Never try to bake meat in a cool oven. The oven, if too hot, can be cooled a little after the beef is brown, by opening the door; but the heat should be as great as it can be without burning the meat. BEEF à LA MODE, WITH STUFFING. Cut several holes in a piece of the round of beef weighing about six pounds, and fill them with the following stuffing, binding wide tape or strips of clean cloth over the cuts to keep in the stuffing : Chop very fine three-quarters of a pound of raw beef, and a quarter of a pound of fat salt pork; mix them with one pound of grated bread, a quarter of a pound of butter, one level teaspoonful each of powdered thyme, savory, cloves, and allspice, two teaspoonfuls of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper, and a dust of cayenne. After the beef is stuffed, lay it on skewers or a plate in a kettle; pour over it three pints of boiling water, cover the kettle closely, and stew the beef over a gentle fire for four hours. When the beef is done, take it up, remove the tapes, and keep it hot. Take out the skewers or plate, thicken the gravy with a tablespoonful of flour mixed smoothly with a little of the gravy, boil the gravy for one minute, season it palatably with salt and pepper, add to it three tablespoonfuls of wine or tomato-catsup , and serve it with the beef. BEEF à LA DAUBE. As has been shown in the chapter on Carving, beef with strips of fat salt pork inserted with the grain of the meat may be cooked and served like beef à la mode. Vegetables cut with a fluted knife, or with vegetable-scoops, as shown in the chapter devoted to vegetables, can be used as a garnish for beef à la daube; or it may be cooked and served as directed in the preceding recipe, omitting the stuffing. LARDED FILET OF BEEF WITH TOMATOES. After a filet or tenderloin of beef is trimmed, wipe it with a wet cloth, lard it as directed in the recipe for fricandeau of veal, and either roast or bake it according to the directions already given. Before placing the filet to cook, it is well to protect the lardoons with buttered paper. While the filet is being cooked, wipe as many medium-size fresh tomatoes as will surround it, and stuff and bake them as directed in the recipe for stuffed tomatoes. Just before the filet is done, remove the buttered paper, so that the lardoons may brown; arrange the filet on a hot dish with the tomatoes around it, as shown in the accompanying cut, and serve it hot. Very small hearts of lettuce, closely Larded Filet of Beef with Stuffed Tomatoes. trimmed, are used as part of the garnish, if they are in season. The lardoons are sometimes cut from boiled tongue, when there is any objection to the use of pork or bacon; but the tongue does not help to brown the meat. If beef-fat is tough enough to pull through the meat without breaking, it is the best substitute for larding pork. TENDERLOIN OF BEEF WITH SPAGHETTI, MILANAISE STYLE. The filet or tenderloin of beef is excellent braised, and served with a small kind of Italian macaroni called spaghetti, or threads. After the filet is trimmed, lay it in a braising-pan with a slice of fat pork under and over it, and a carrot, a turnip, and an onion peeled, a tablespoonful of salt, and a fagot or bouquet of sweet herbs made by tying together a few sprigs of parsley, a bay-leaf , a sprig of thyme or marjoram, and a dozen cloves and peppercorns, and add enough boiling water to cover it. The braising-pan is then closed, and the meat cooked slowly for an hour. Meantime the spaghetti is boiled for ten minutes in salted boiling water, and then drained and laid in cold water. A sauce is made by browning together a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and then gradually mixing with them a pint of the broth from the meat. The sauce may be made more elaborate by putting into it small bits of cold chicken or tongue. Just before the filet is taken up, the spaghetti is taken from the cold water, and warmed in the sauce. The filet is dished with the spaghetti as a garnish, and served hot. FRESH TONGUE, BOILED. Fresh beef, calf, pig, or lamb tongue, or those which have been only slightly salted, make a very nice dish. To prepare them, soak them over night in plenty of cold water to freshen them slightly if they are salted, or to blanch them if they are fresh. The next day put them over the fire with cold water for salted tongues, or boiling water for fresh ones: allow twenty minutes to each pound for boiling, from the time they begin to boil. A lemon sliced, or a cupful of vinegar, and a teaspoonful each of whole cloves and pepper-corns , boiled with tongues, greatly improves their flavor, When they are done, take them up, remove the skin, and return them again to the pot-liquor to keep hot; or, if they are to be used cold, let them cool in it. At the table, slice them in rather long slices, beginning near the tip. All the fleshy parts and the fat near the roots of the tongues will serve to make excellent hash when cold. ROBERT SAUCE. Serve with the tongues a hot sauce, made as follows: Chop a peeled onion in quarter-inch dice, and fry it in a tablespoonful of butter until it is brown. Then add half a cupful of vinegar, and boil rapidly until the vinegar is nearly evaporated. Next stir in a cupful and a half of any cold brown gravy; or, lacking the gravy, stir in first a tablespoonful of dry flour, and let it brown, and then mix in a cupful and a half of boiling water. Season the sauce highly with salt and pepper, and simmer it slowly for fifteen minutes. Just before using it, stir in a dessertspoonful of French mustard. HIND-QUARTER OF VEAL. The picture shows an entire hind-quarter of veal as found in market. The lines given are the average cuts in use throughout the country for dividing the quarter, which is generally too large for family use. Fig. 1 indicates the knuckle, used for soups and jellies; Fig. 2 shows that part usually separated in slices for cutlet, the inner portion being that from which the noix or cushion is cut for a fricandeau; Fig. 3 is the rump or lower end of the loin, used for pot-roasts, à la mode veal, and also for roasting and baking; Fig. 4 is the loin proper, which is either roasted or baked, or cut into chops for broiling or frying. Hind-Quarter of Veal. An Illustration of a hind-quarter of veal. LARDED CANTONS OF LAMB. The shoulders of small lamb, boned from the inside so as to avoid breaking the skin, can be stuffed and larded as shown in the accompanying picture, and then either roasted or baked, and garnished with olives and button-mushrooms, heated in a brown mushroom sauce; any good forcemeat or stuffing can be used, and the lardoons protected with buttered paper while the cantons are being cooked. To remove the bones, cut from the inside of the shoulder, to take out the shoulder-blade, then cut the flesh away from the round bone, turning it away like a glove from the hand, until that part of the bone just above the foot-joint is reached; cut the bone here from the inside, and trim the end projecting from the flesh to resemble the bill of a duck; after the cantons are stuffed and larded, truss them in the form of ducks, as shown in the picture, and then bake or roast them, and garnish them as directed above, first removing the strings which confine the stuffing; serve a brown gravy or brown mushroom sauce with them. Larded Cantons of Lamb. An Illustration of larded cantons of lamb on a platter. BOILED MUTTON. Use the upper part of a large leg of mutton, or a small one entire; wipe it with a damp cloth, chop off the end of the leg bone, and put it over the fire in sufficient boiling water to cover it; season it with a level tablespoonful of salt and a small red pepper, or a dozen peppercorns, and boil it gently about two hours, or until quite tender. When it is done, serve it with Forest City sauce; or use caper sauce, which is white sauce containing capers. BAKED FRESH PORK. If the skin is left on the pork, as it is in some markets, scrape it with a dull knife, wash it thoroughly with a wet cloth, and score it in little squares; if the skin has been removed, trim off some of the superfluous fat. Using a sharp, thin knife, cut out the chine or backbone, disjointing it from the ends of the ribs, so that the meat may be carved with ease; put in the dripping-pan a few slices each of carrot, turnip, and onion, a dozen whole cloves, a level teaspoonful of peppercorns, and a few leaves of parsley or celery; lay the pork on these vegetables, put the pan in a moderate oven, and brown the meat; when the meat is brown, season it with salt, pepper, and powdered sage, and finish cooking it, allowing fifteen minutes to each pound of meat. An hour before the pork is done, prepare the garnish for it as follows: Peel a dozen small white onions without breaking the layers apart; put them into a pan with a teaspoonful of sugar, a tablespoonful of butter, and a little salt and pepper; set the pan in the oven, and occasionally shake it to move the onions about, and insure their uniform browning; after the onions are prepared, wash four tart apples, quarter them, remove the cores, place them in a pan just large enough to hold them, with a tablespoonful of butter distributed over them, and bake them until they are tender, but not at all broken; keep the onions and apples hot to serve with the pork. When the pork is done, put it on a hot dish; arrange the apples and onions in little groups around it, and serve it with a dish of plain boiled potatoes and brown gravy. To make the gravy, after the pork is taken from the baking-pan, pour out nearly all the drippings, leaving in the scraps of vegetables; set the pan over the fire, stir in a heaping tablespoonful of flour until it is brown, and then a pint of boiling water, adding the water gradually; season the gravy thus made, palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil for a moment, and then strain it, and serve it with the baked pork. BAKED PORK WITH POTATOES. Peel, boil, and mash a quart of potatoes , and, in mashing, season them highly with salt, pepper, and powdered sage; remove all the bone from a shoulder of fresh pork, cutting from the inside, and leaving the meat as whole as possible; after the bone is removed, season the inside of the meat, stuff the mashed potato into the cavity, and sew up the shoulder so as to restore its original shape; if the skin is left on the shoulder, scrape it with a dull knife, wipe it with a wet cloth, and then score it in half-inch squares; put the meat into a very moderate oven, so that it may cook slowly and thoroughly, twenty minutes to the pound; serve with it boiled beets, or cabbage dressed with vinegar, or a sauce made of sour apples. If a gravy is desired, make it as follows: After the pork is done, take it up, remove the strings, and keep it hot; pour out of the pan all but two tablespoonfuls of the drippings, set the pan over the fire, stir into it two tablespoonfuls of flour, and let it brown, then stir in enough boiling water to make a gravy of the proper consistency, season it palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil for a moment, and then serve it with the meat. The character of the gravy can be changed by adding to it two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, or a dessertspoonful of mixed mustard, or half a cupful of pickles chopped very fine, or two tablespoonfuls of pickled onions very thinly sliced. The chine, loin, and leg of pork are used for roasting and baking. Any of these pieces may be stuffed, or simply seasoned and cooked. The gravy is to be made according to the above recipe, or the pork may be cooked in accordance with the next recipe. BAKED TENDERLOINS. Wipe the tenderloins with a damp cloth, lay them in a dripping-pan with the sweet potatoes, and brown them quickly in a hot oven; then season them with salt, pepper, and powdered sage, and bake them about forty minutes. In cool weather, there is no meat more savory than the tenderloin of fresh pork. Prime ones are large, thick through the centre, bright red in color, and closely intersected with lines of white fat; if the pork is from a perfectly healthy animal, and thoroughly cooked, it is entirely wholesome for any person except those who have weak digestions. The tenderloins may be split and stuffed before they are baked. BAKED SWEET POTATOES. Peel the potatoes , put them into the dripping-pan with the tenderloins, bake them until tender, and serve them with the tenderloins and stuffed apples. STUFFED APPLES. Prepare the apples as soon as the tenderloins are in the oven; wipe them with a wet towel, cut a thick slice from the stem end of each, scoop out the core without cutting through the apples, fill each one with an ounce of highly seasoned sausage-meat, or with the slice from the top, chopped and seasoned; arrange them on a large tin pan, dust them over with cracker-dust , and bake them until tender. Serve them with the tenderloins. Tenderloins may also be broiled and fried, seasoned with salt, pepper, and powdered sage. HAND OF FRESH PORK. The hand of pork is the leg or shoulder of young pork cut short, and boned from the top without marring the skin. After the leg is boned, it is stuffed with any good forcemeat, or with highly seasoned bread-stuffing, and sewed at the top as shown in the picture given in the chapter on Carving. The hand may either be boiled or roasted, and served with a garnish of string-beans , or a fresh green salad. With a good forcemeat, the hand makes a nice cold dish for supper. BROILED PORK WITH CHILI SAUCE. The Chili sauce is to be prepared in advance of cooking the meat, and in a considerable quantity, as it will keep some time. The directions for making it are given below. To cook the pork, have cutlets about half an inch thick cut from the leg of fresh pork; put the cutlets between the bars of a double gridiron, and broil them brown over a moderate fire, allowing about twenty minutes to cook them; when they are well done, put them on a hot platter, season them with salt and pepper, put a little butter over them, and serve them with a dish of Chili sauce. CHILI SAUCE. Scald ripe sound tomatoes, peel them and weigh them; to five pounds, add one pound of onions peeled and sliced, five ounces of fresh red peppers, weighed after the seeds are taken out, and then chopped fine, a quarter of a pound of brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls of salt, and a pint of vinegar; put all these ingredients over the fire in a porcelain-lined kettle, and boil them slowly, stirring them frequently to prevent burning; after the sauce begins to boil, it must be stirred almost incessantly. In about half an hour it will be quite thick; it should be boiled until it is about the consistency of apple-sauce. After the sauce has been boiled enough, remove the kettle from the fire, let the sauce cool in it, and then bottle it and cork the bottles tight. HOW TO DRESS A ROASTING-PIG. A roasting-pig is in prime condition when it is three to six weeks old. As soon as it is killed, plunge it into cold water for five minutes, then rub it all over with powdered resin, and put it into scalding water for one minute. Then lay it on a clean board, and pull and scrape off the bristles, taking care not to injure the skin. If any of the bristles do not come off readily, scald that part again and scrape it. When all the bristles are removed, wash the pig thoroughly, first in warm water, and then several times in plenty of cold water. Then slit the pig from the throat downward, and take out the entrails, saving the heart, liver, lights, and spleen: lay these parts in cold salted water. Wash the pig again in cold water, and then wrap it from the air in cloth wet in cold water, until it is wanted for use. A good roasting-pig has a soft, clean, pinkish-white skin, plump hams, a short curly tail, thin delicate ears, and a soft fringe-like margin all around the tongue. BAKED SUCKING-PIG. Choose a small plump pig. Use the liver, heart, and lights for the dressing, after first putting them over the fire in salted boiling water, and boiling them until tender, or stewing them raw and browning them in butter. Peel and grate an onion, put it over the fire in a frying-pan with two tablespoonfuls of butter, and fry it slowly; mince the heart, liver, kidneys, and add them to the onion; soak two cupfuls of bread in cold water until soft, then squeeze it in a towel to extract the water, and put it with the minced haslet and onion; season the mixture highly with salt, pepper, ground sage, and marjoram, and stir it until it is scalding hot; use this stuffing for the pig; sew it up, truss it so as to keep the legs in place, put it into a dripping-pan just large enough to hold it, and bake it in a moderate oven; for the first hour baste it with butter and hot water, and after that with butter alone; if the ears and tail seem in danger of browning, wrap them in buttered paper; season the pig with salt and pepper two or three times while it is being basted. A medium-sized pig will bake in from two to two and a half hours. When the pig is done, put it on a dish to keep hot after removing the stitches which retain the stuffing; place the dripping-pan over the fire, stir in a tablespoonful of flour, and brown it, and then add equal quantities of boiling water and wine, or three parts of water and one of mushroom or walnut catsup; let the gravy thus made boil once, season it palatably with salt and pepper, and then serve it with the baked pig. The stuffing may be varied by using mashed potatoes instead of soaked bread. Apple-sauce is the usual accompaniment. Cold slaw and cranberry-jelly or stewed cranberries are used in the South with roast pig. Prepare apple-sauce as follows:-- Peel, quarter, and core tart apples; stew them to a pulp over a slow fire, adding at first three tablespoonfuls of water to a pint of apples, to prevent burning; when the apples are stewed to a pulp, stir them with a tablespoonful of butter to each pint of the sauce, and then use the sauce either hot or cold. SALTING AND SMOKING MEAT. The salting and smoking of meat can be accomplished on a small scale, and sometimes is very desirable. With the aid of the annexed engravings, which are copied from GouffÉ's "Book of Preserves," any intelligent carpenter can make the necessary apparatus. The first figure represents a box or trough, made of boards two inches thick, about six feet long by two feet wide, with sides three inches high; the trough is set slanting upon strong legs held by a cross-bar, and has an opening at the lower end for the escape of the brine from the salting compound. For family use, a thick wide meat -board, placed at a moderate angle of inclination, may replace the salting-trough. The second figure shows the salting-bin or pickling-tub, a wooden box about three feet square, made of two-inch boards, and set upon strong short uprights. For small use, a stout cask or barrel may replace the tub. Pickling or Salting Trough. An Illustration of a pickling or salting trough. Pickling-Tub, or Salting-bin. An Illustration of a Pickling tub or salting bin. Smoking Closet or Furnace. An Illustration of a smoking closet or furnace. The third figure represents the smoking-closet, a wooden box on uprights, with a door, a funnel upon the top to carry off the smoke, and an aperture in the bottom to receive it from a small stove; the closet is about three feet by five, with strong iron rods running through the top to hold the meat. The stove or furnace which stands under the closet must have a funnel to carry the smoke into the closet; the row of holes around the top of the stove, shown in the picture, is for the admission of air which would enter at the bottom of an ordinary small furnace. For family use, a smouldering fire is sometimes built under a large barrel, and smothered with sawdust of hard wood; and the meat is suspended across the top of the barrel. Another small way of smoking is to hang the meat over the top of a barrel which is open at both ends, and set it over a pile of oak sawdust in which a large piece of red-hot iron is buried; the top of the barrel is covered after the smoke begins to rise. SALTING MEAT FOR SMOKING. After trimming the meat in the proper joints, it should be laid in the salting-trough, and thoroughly rubbed with the salting mixture. For eighteen pounds of meat, mix, by pounding together to a powder, two pounds of good bay salt, two ounces of saltpetre, and four of brown sugar; thoroughly rub this mixture into the meat every day for four days; then cover it with dry bay salt, fresh every day, for twelve days, keeping a board over the meat with a heavy weight upon it. It is important to apply the salting mixture and dry salt every day, and to let the blood and brine drain freely away from the meat. When the meat is pork, the skin should be downward. After two weeks, the meat will be ready to smoke. Small joints should be smoked for a week, large ones from ten days to two weeks: small tongues may be smoked after six days' salting, and large ones after ten. HOW TO PICKLE MEAT. For eighteen pounds of meat, pound to a powder half an ounce of saltpetre and an ounce of brown sugar, and rub the mixture well into the meat; make enough brine to cover the meat, by dissolving in water all the bay salt it will receive; boil it up, and skim it, then cool it, and pour it over the meat in the pickling-tub; for four days take the meat out of the brine every day, rub into it the above quantity of saltpetre and sugar, and replace it in the brine; after four days, turn the meat every day in the brine for ten days; it will then be ready to smoke for eight days, or may remain in the pickle simply as corned meat. SMOKING MEAT. The best wood for smoking meat is oak, and, where a barrel is used, oak sawdust; green hickory and maple are used in New England; dried corn-cobs make a good smoke; pine wood should never be used for smoking meat. In the small stove or furnace, shown in the illustration of the smoking-closet, a fire is first made of charcoal. Upon the live coals a thick layer of sawdust is spread; and over that half a dozen bay-leaves, a bunch of dried thyme, and twenty juniper-berries are laid. The fire is kept smouldering by renewing the sawdust, and fresh herbs are added every other day, as long as meat is kept in the smoking-closet. KNICKERBOCKER DRIED BEEF. Use a piece of the round of beef, weighing from six to ten pounds. After trimming it, rub it all over with brown sugar once a day for three weeks. After rubbing it with sugar every day, rub it well with common salt and powdered saltpetre, using an ounce of saltpetre to four pounds of sugar, and double that quantity of salt; the action of the saltpetre is to redden and harden the beef. After the beef is salted, turn it every day for two weeks, and keep it in a cool place. At the end of two weeks, roll the beef tightly in a coarse cloth, and hang it in wood smoke for ten days, turning it bottom up every day; it will then be ready to shave and use as smoked beef, or to boil and slice when cold; or, cook it like frizzled ham. HOW TO CURE HAMS. To twenty-five pounds of meat, --the hams to be weighed after they are trimmed,--allow three pints of coarse salt, four ounces of saltpetre, and a quart of molasses; mix these ingredients thoroughly without boiling them, adding enough cold water to cover the hams; pack the hams in a barrel, pour the brine over them, weight them with a stone to keep them down, and cover the barrel. At the end of every week change them, putting the top ones on the bottom; let them stand in the brine for five weeks, and then smoke them for three weeks in the smoke of burning sawdust and corn-cobs , or green hickory or maple. The same brine may be used again by adding more salt to it. A boiled brine may be made by boiling and skimming clear three gallons of water, four and a half pounds of salt, a pound and a half of brown sugar, an ounce and a half of saltpetre, half an ounce of saleratus, and two quarts of molasses; after the brine is skimmed quite clear, cool it, and then pour it over the meat. After the hams are smoked, they should be wrapped in stiff brown paper, and then sewed up in thick cloth. They can be hung in a cool dry place, or packed in barrels with layers of coarse dry salt, powdered charcoal, or clean wood ashes. The salt packing is the best for warm weather. The hams may be thickly sprinkled with ground pepper, tied closely in sacks, and then hung in a cool dark place, when the weather is cool. HAM COOKED IN CIDER. Soak a ham over night in sufficient cold water to entirely cover it; the next morning trim it neatly, put it over the fire in enough cold water to cover it, with one pint of cider and half a cupful of brown sugar; cover the kettle, and boil the ham slowly for four hours, or until the skin peels off easily. When the ham is cooked enough, take it out of the water in which it was boiled, remove the skin, and lay the ham in a dripping-pan; pour into the dripping-pan a pint of cider, sprinkle the ham plentifully with brown sugar, and place it in a moderate oven to bake one hour; every fifteen minutes baste the ham with the cider in the pan. When the ham is cooked, take it from the dripping-pan, free the cider in the pan from grease, season it lightly with pepper, and use it as a sauce for the ham, which may be served either hot or cold. PLAIN BOILED HAM. Soak the ham over night in cold water, and then boil it in enough water to cover it, with a dried red pepper, or a teaspoonful each of whole cloves and peppercorns, boiling it twenty minutes to a pound; after the ham is done, remove the skin, and serve it hot, or let it cool in the water in which it was boiled. Cooks usually put little spots of pepper on the fat of the ham after skinning it. BAKED OR ROAST HAM. After a ham has been boiled and skinned as directed above, dust it with bread or cracker crumbs, and quickly brown it in a hot oven: serve it either hot or cold. A glass of madeira is a popular addition to the gravy or sauce of roast ham. TO SMOKE A MUTTON HAM. Trim a good leg of mutton in the form of a ham, and let it hang for two days. Heat in a thick saucepan half a pound each of rock and table salt and brown sugar, and two ounces of powdered saltpetre. When all these ingredients are thoroughly warm, rub them well into the ham, and place it in a wooden or earthern vessel, and let it stand for four days, turning it every day. The fourth day, rub a handful of dry salt over the ham, and let it stand for two days longer; then dry it, and hang it in a wood smoke for a week. BOILED MUTTON HAM. After the mutton ham has been prepared, as directed in the recipe for smoking it, wash it in cold water, and soak it over night in enough cold water to cover it. The next day drain it, put it over the fire in enough cold water to cover it, let the water heat to the boiling-point, and then boil the ham gently twenty minutes to a pound. Half an hour before the ham is done, boil with it half a dozen turnips peeled, or a head of cabbage first washed in cold water, if either of these vegetables is desired to serve with the ham. Or serve it simply with a dish of plain boiled potatoes . NEW-ENGLAND SALT PORK. After the carcass is freed from bristles, which is done by scalding it and then scraping them off, it is to be cut up for curing. The shoulders are usually corn ed for about a week, and then either boiled or baked; the hams are first cured with brown sugar or molasses and salt, and then smoked; the head and feet are made into souse; the loins, tenderloins, spare-ribs, and neck are generally cooked while they are fresh. When the pig is large, only part of the head is made into souse, the cheeks being salted or made into brawn; the fat sides, cut close off at the loins, and including the belly, are salted in brine, or cured as bacon; the inner fat, which lies about the intestines, is tried out as lard; the edible entrails are cooked fresh, usually by frying or boiling; the outer casings of the intestines are thoroughly cleaned, and used in making sausages and black puddings; the latter are made from the blood boiled with oatmeal or Indian meal and seasonings, and cased with the larger intestines; sausages are made from the leaner trimmings of the carcass, seasoned highly and cased in the smaller intestines. After the sides and belly are cut in pieces of the desired size, they are packed in kegs or barrels with plenty of salt, and covered with cold water; about a bushel of salt is allowed to a barrelful of pork; a heavy stone is laid on the pork to keep it under the brine. If all the salt is dissolved in two or three days, more is to be added; there should always be a little more salt than the water will dissolve; in about six weeks the pork will be sufficiently salted to use. HOW TO TRY OUT LARD. To prepare lard at home, use very clean, fresh, white-looking "leaves" of fresh pork fat; cut the fat in pieces a little less than an inch square, removing any membranes or small veins which may be apparent. Place a large iron pot over a very gentle fire, put into it half a pint of cold water, then put in the chopped fat; let it heat gradually, and boil slowly but steadily for about three hours, stirring it occasionally to prevent sticking. While it is necessary to keep the lard boiling constantly, care must be taken that the fire is not too hot, lest the fat boil over and burn. As the fat boils, and the water evaporates, it will gradually lose its cloudy appearance and become transparent. When the fat no longer bubbles, and the pieces of fat or "scraps" are yellowish brown, and begin to cake together, the lard is sufficiently cooked. Set the pot off the fire, and let the lard cool a little; then use a large ladle to dip the liquid lard into perfectly tight wooden kegs, earthen jars, or tin pails; be careful that no particle of "scraps" is dipped out with the lard; and when it has nearly all been removed from the "scraps," lay a folded towel in a large sieve, set the sieve over an earthen bowl, pour the remaining lard and "scraps" into the sieve, and let them drain without pressing. Keep the lard which drains from the "scraps" separate from the other, and use it first. The "scraps" are good served with hot baked or boiled potatoes . They are also used in the South for making Indian bread, under the name of crackling bread. BOILED PORK AND PARSNEPS. Wash two or three pounds of salt pork in cold water, put it over the fire in sufficient cold water to cover it, let it slowly approach the boiling-point, and boil it for three hours. At the end of one or two hours, add to it half a dozen parsneps washed and scraped, and boil them with the pork until they are tender; old, tough parsneps should be added at the end of one hour; young, tender ones, at the end of two hours. When both pork and parsneps are tender, take them out of the saucepan in which they were boiled, and wipe it quite dry; cut the pork in half-inch slices, put it again into the saucepan, and brown it quickly over the fire. Meantime, slice the parsneps, and brown them with the pork. Season both palatably with salt and pepper, and serve them hot on the same dish. OLD NEW-YORK STYLE OF CURING BACON. After the sides of pork are cut and trimmed, rub each one thickly with salt, lay them on an inclined board, and let them remain for twenty-four hours; then for each side of pork use the following ingredients mixed well together: half a pound each of brown sugar and salt, and one ounce of powdered saltpetre. Rub this mixture well into the bacon, and turn it every day for two weeks (of course this curing must take place in cool weather); after the bacon has been salted for two weeks, smoke it for ten days, according to the directions given for smoking meats. This quantity of salting mixture is calculated for very large sides of pork. BOILED BACON AND CABBAGE. Wash and scrape a piece of bacon, or "middling," put it over the fire in cold water enough to cover it, and boil it gently half an hour to a pound. While the bacon is boiling, carefully trim a cabbage, cut it in quarters, and cut out the stalk, and leave it in a pan of cold salted water until wanted; about half an hour before dinner, put the cabbage into the pot with the bacon, and boil it fast until the stalk is just tender. When the cabbage is tender, which will be in about half an hour, take it up in a colander, press it to extract all the water, lay it on a dish, put the boiled bacon on it, and serve the dish at once. The old-fashioned way of boiling cabbage for an hour or longer is quite unnecessary. BOAR'S HEAD. Thoroughly cleanse a head, removing the hair, as from pork for curing, the eyes, teeth, and as many bones as possible, saving the tusks. After washing the head in plenty of cold water, pour boiling water over it, and then put it into a tub with enough equally mixed vinegar and cold water to cover it; add a cupful of salt, a tablespoonful each of whole cloves, mace, pepper, sage-leaves, bay-leaves , and chopped onion. Put the tongue with the head, and two pounds of boar's meat. Let the head stand in this pickle for three days, then drain it; use the meat and tongue to replace the bones, sew the head in shape, roll it in a cloth, and put it into a large boiler with boiling water enough to cover it, a pint of sherry or madeira, a heaping tablespoonful of salt, a carrot, a turnip, and an onion peeled and sliced, a lemon sliced, and a bouquet of herbs. Let the head boil slowly for six hours, removing all scum that rises, and keeping it well covered. When the head is done, let it cool in the water it has been boiled in; then glaze and garnish it; replace the tusks; make eyes of the round end of the white of hard-boiled eggs and a bit of red beet for the pupil; garnish the dish, and serve it cold. Or garnish and decorate it more elaborately, as shown in the accompanying engraving, Boar's Head, Untrimmed. An Illustration of a boar's head untrimmed. Boar's Head, Garnished. An Illustration of a Boar's head, garnished. which represents a boar's head garnished with holly and aspic jelly, as a Christmas dish. A NEW-ENGLAND BOILED DINNER. Select a thick piece of corned beef from the round, weighing about six pounds; wash it in cold water, and put it over the fire in a large pot, with sufficient cold water to cover it three or four inches; set the pot where its contents will slowly reach the boiling-point, and boil very gently for four hours from the time it is first placed on the fire. After the meat is put to cook, wash four large beets very carefully, without breaking the skin or cutting off the stalks or roots, and put them over the fire to boil in another pot, in plenty of actually boiling water. Then peel four large white turnips and one large yellow turnip; cut the latter in four pieces; scrape four carrots and four parsneps ; peel a dozen medium-sized potatoes ; trim and wash a firm head of white cabbage, cut its stalk out without breaking the leaves apart, and bind it with broad tape to keep it whole while cooking. As fast as the vegetables are prepared, lay them in plenty of cold water until they are needed for cooking. If onions are used, they should be boiled in a separate saucepan. Some families like a dish of boiled squash mashed with pepper, salt, and butter, served as part of a boiled dinner; in the fall and winter, pumpkin is often used like the squash. When the meat begins to boil, the scum which rises to the surface of the pot-liquor should be carefully skimmed off, and a medium-sized red or green pepper put into the pot. As already indicated, the pot must be large enough to hold both meat and vegetables; the vegetables, except the beets and onions, are to be added to the meat in proper succession, allowing sufficient time for each kind to cook. The carrots, parsneps, and turnips will boil in about two hours; the cabbage and onions, in one hour; the potatoes , squash, and pumpkin, in about half an hour. The beets will boil in from two to four hours, according to their size; they are to be taken up when tender, their skins are to be rubbed off with a wet towel, and then they are to be sliced and covered with vinegar. They are generally served cold; but if they are liked hot, they can be heated at dinner-time, with a little salt, pepper, and butter. When the boiled dinner is cooked, the meat is placed in the middle of a large platter, and the vegetables, with the exception of those specified for separate serving, are arranged around it. A piece of salt pork is sometimes boiled with the beef. CORNED BEEF BRISKET. Choose about seven pounds of the navel end of the brisket of corned beef; wash it well in plenty of cold water; put it over the fire in a large pot containing sufficient cold water to cover the beef, and let it slowly approach the boiling point, removing all scum as it rises. The beef can either be left flat, or the bones be taken out and a compact roll be made of it, secured by a string. Boil the beef steadily and gently for four hours after it begins to boil; it may then be served hot, or may be pressed until cold before it is used. Cabbage is usually served with corned beef; cooked according to directions given among the vegetable recipes, it is excellent; or it may be boiled with the beef, only it should not be boiled longer than just time enough to make it tender, which is less than half an hour usually. MUSTARD SAUCE. Mustard sauce made as follows is good with the beef :-- After the beef has been boiling for two hours, take a pint of the broth from it to use for sauce. Peel and chop a bunch of chives, a shallot, or two or three small green onions, and put them over the fire in a pint of broth to boil for half an hour; then add a level tablespoonful of dry mustard, a gill of vinegar, and a high seasoning of salt and pepper; stir the sauce until it is thoroughly incorporated, and then keep it hot until it is required for the beef. BEEF'S HEART, CORNED. After washing and trimming a beef's heart, soak it for two days in a brine made as follows: Dissolve salt in cold water until an egg will float on its surface, then place this brine over the fire, let it boil once, skim it clear, and then cool it. Pour the cold brine over the heart, and let it stand for two days covered from the light and air. Wash the heart in cold water, put it over the fire with enough more cold water to cover it, and a red pepper or a teaspoonful of peppercorns, and boil it gently for about three hours, or until it is quite tender, cooking it very slowly and steadily. After putting the heart to boil, carefully wash six medium-sized beets, without closely trimming their roots or stalks, and put them over the fire in a large pot of boiling water without salt; boil them steadily for three hours, and then skim them by rubbing them in a wet cloth, and keep them hot in a covered dish near the fire, dressing them with a tablespoonful of butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and a dust of cayenne pepper. Half an hour before the heart is done, peel a quart of potatoes , and boil them in salted boiling water until they are tender enough to pierce with a fork; then drain the water off them, cover them with a folded towel to retain the steam, and place the saucepan containing them on the back of the stove to keep them warm until the heart is done. When the heart is cooked, put it on a hot platter, arrange the beets and potatoes around it, and serve it hot. PICKLED BEEF'S TONGUES. Cut off the roots of the tongues, leaving on some of the fat; sprinkle them all over thickly with salt, and let them lie on a slanted board over night to drain; mix together a cupful each of brown sugar and salt, a heaping tablespoonful of powdered saltpetre, and a tablespoonful each of ground pepper, cloves, allspice, and mace, for two tongues; rub this mixture well over the tongues; put them in a pickling-tub, and let them stand in a cool place for ten or twelve days, turning them every day in the pickle. After that time they may be dried, or smoked, or cooked as soon as wanted. BOILED TONGUE. Wash a pickled tongue, put it into enough cold water to cover it, and let it soak over night; the next morning wash it, put it over the fire in enough fresh cold water to cover it, and boil it gently until it is very tender; then remove the skin, and serve the tongue hot, with any sharp sauce and boiled green vegetables, or with pickled beets or red cabbage. If the tongue is to be served cold, return it to the liquor in which it was boiled, after skimming it, and let it cool there; this will make it very tender and juicy. BAKED TONGUE. Boil the tongue as directed in the preceding recipe, and after the skin is removed dust it with bread or cracker crumbs, and brown it in a hot oven. BOILED TURKEY WITH OYSTER SAUCE. Choose a tender hen turkey weighing about seven pounds. Have it carefully plucked, singed, and wiped with a wet towel; cut off the head and feet, draw it without breaking the intestines; either stuff it with equal quantities of stale bread and oysters, seasoned with salt and pepper, or truss it unstuffed; put it over the fire in sufficient boiling water to cover it, remove all scum as it rises, and boil the turkey gently for about two hours, or until it is tender. While the turkey is being boiled, carefully remove all bits of shell from a quart of medium-sized oysters, and strain their liquor. OYSTER SAUCE. When the turkey is nearly done, put in a saucepan over the fire, two level tablespoonfuls of flour, and two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, and stir them together until they bubble; then gradually stir in the oyster-liquor and enough broth from the turkey to make a sauce of the consistency of cream; season it palatably with salt and white pepper, and let it boil for a moment; put the saucepan containing the sauce into a pan of hot water, and place it on the back of the fire to keep hot until just before dishing the turkey; then put in the oysters, and let them boil once; meantime dish the turkey, remove the trussing-cords, pour a little of the oyster-sauce over it, and serve it with the rest of the sauce in a boat. BOILED TURKEY WITH CELERY SAUCE. Dress the turkey as directed in the preceding recipe, substituting celery, washed and chopped, for the oysters, both in the stuffing and in the sauce, and taking care that the celery used for the sauce is very white and tender. BOILED CHICKEN. Carefully pluck and draw a tender chicken, singe it, wipe it with a wet towel, cut off the head and feet, and truss it for boiling; put the chicken over the fire in sufficient water to cover it, with a level tablespoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of peppercorns or a small red pepper. Boil the chicken until it is tender, then serve it with the cream onion sauce. A fowl boiled very gently for about four hours, or until it is tender, and served with cream onion sauce, makes an economical and palatable dish. The chicken or fowl may be boiled until nearly tender enough to serve, then taken from the broth, put into a saucepan with the onion sauce, and the cooking finished in this way. CREAM ONION SAUCE. Peel and slice a pint of onions, put them over the fire in a clean saucepan with enough milk to cover them, and stew them until tender; when the onions are tender, beat them to a pulp with a fork, add to them a palatable seasoning of salt and white pepper; add sufficient milk to form a sauce of the consistency of cream, and a heaping tablespoonful of butter; use this sauce with boiled chicken. HOW TO PRESERVE BAKE At changing seasons, when the temperature is so variable, the keeping of meat becomes an important question to the housekeeper. There can be no better method than that employed by the old Pennsylvania Dutch housewives, when an animal was killed on the farm. After the portions of carcass suitable for salting were selected, and those chosen for immediate use set aside, the remainder was cut up in joints of available size, and either baked or roasted to the desired point,--rare, medium rare, or well done; stone jars or wooden tubs were selected to correspond with the size of the joints, a margin of about two inches in all directions being allowed. While the joints were being cooked, a large kettle of lard or drippings was melted. When the carcass was of pork, lard was made from the leaf; when of any other meat, the suet was rendered. When the joints were cooked, each one was put into its jar or firkin, with a reversed plate in the bottom to keep the meat from resting against it, and then the hot fat was poured around and over the meat; when the fat cools, it entirely excludes the air, and if the jars are covered and kept in a cool place, the meat will keep for several months. When required for use, the meat is to be taken out of the fat, and quickly heated and served. The fat can then be clarified by melting it in a kettle of water, and allowing it to cool in a cake on the surface of the water; when the fat is cold, the sediment of the under side of the cake can be scraped off, and the lard or dripping will then be ready to use. The fat does not need clarifying if care is taken to separate from the rest that portion which has immediately surrounded the meat; this brown part of the fat can be used in making gravy for the meat. CHAPTER VII. ROASTS (Rôtis). THE roasts proper are given in this chapter, and also those dishes of birds and game which sometimes replace the roasts, and are more suitable for a dinner of several courses than the large joints of roast meat. The baked meats are given among the removes, together with the large boiled joints, and the boiled poultry. The smaller dishes of broiled, fried, and stewed meats are given among the entrÉes, together with some of the smaller baked meats. The roasts should always be accompanied by some kind of green salad, if it is obtainable, because it greatly enhances the flavor of the meat. When wine is served with the roast, it may be either champagne or Burgundy. Sometimes the salad immediately follows the roast, and in that case it should be accompanied by some form of cheese. ROAST BEEF. Roast beef can be prepared before an ordinary range or cooking-stove by using a tin case, open on the side towards the fire, called a Dutch oven; any large box of tin bright enough to reflect the heat will serve for this purpose, if it has a bottom tight enough to retain the drippings from the meat. The regular Dutch oven is provided with a hook, upon which the meat is hung; if it has to be otherwise supported, the best method is by a rack, which will raise the meat to about the middle of the oven, where the heat is the most regular. Wipe the beef with a wet towel after it has been trimmed by the butcher, suspend it in the Dutch oven, and place it before the fire where it will brown quickly; after it is brown, season it with salt and pepper; if a frothed surface is desired, dust the beef with dry flour, and then moisten it with drippings every fifteen minutes, after it is brown; allow fifteen minutes to a pound for roasting beef medium rare before a hot fire. When the beef is done, put it on a hot platter, and quickly make the gravy as follows, or do this before taking up the beef. Put over the fire in a frying-pan, dripping-pan, or saucepan, two tablespoonfuls of beef-drippings , and one of dry flour, and stir them until they are brown; then gradually stir in a pint of boiling water, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; let the gravy so made boil for one minute, and then serve it with the beef. ROAST LAMB WITH SORREL-SAUCE. Have the bone cut from a shoulder of lamb without mangling it; replace the bone with crumbs of bread, highly seasoned with salt and pepper, and sew or tie the lamb so as to enclose the crumbs; put the lamb upon a spit, or into a pan just large enough to hold it, and either roast it before a hot fire, or bake it in a very hot oven. When the meat is brown, season it with salt and pepper, and cook it to the required degree; about fifteen minutes to a pound will cook it medium well done. While the lamb is being cooked, prepare some sorrel-sauce as follows, and when the meat is done, remove the strings, and serve it on the sorrel-sauce. SORREL-SAUCE. For this sauce, either the large-leaved field- sorrel, or the small trefoil of the wood-sorrel, may be used. Thoroughly wash the herb, and put it over the fire in an earthen or porcelain-lined saucepan, with only the water which remains upon it after it is washed, and a tabelspoonful of butter to each pint of sorrel; cover the saucepan, and cook the sorrel until it is tender enough to beat to a pulp with a fork; then season it palatably with salt and pepper, add to it enough butter to make it semi-liquid, and serve it on the dish with the lamb. Another form of sorrel-sauce is made by mixing smoothly over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, then stirring with them a pint of boiling water, a cupful of boiled sorrel-pulp , and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper. HIND-QUARTER OF LAMB. The hind-quarter of lamb, which is cut for marketing as shown in the annexed picture, is rather larger than the fore-quarter, and always more expensive. It is cooked and served as directed in the recipe for roast lamb. Hind-Quarter of Lamb. An Illustration of a Hind quarter of lamb. ROAST LAMB. After a quarter of lamb is trimmed, wipe it with a wet towel, put it in front of the fire, or in a very hot oven, and brown it quickly; after it is brown, season it with salt and pepper, dust it with flour, and baste it with the drippings every fifteen minutes, if a frothed surface is desired; allow the lamb to cook about twenty minutes to a pound. Serve the lamb with gravy made by browning together two tablespoonfuls of its drippings, and one of dry flour, and then stirring with them a pint of boiling water, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; as soon as the gravy boils, serve it. Mint-sauce may be served with roast lamb, made by mixing together a cupful each of vinegar and sugar, and half a cupful of chopped green mint. SADDLE OF LAMB ROASTED. The saddle of lamb is simply the two loins cut off before the carcass is split open down the back; it is best when roasted before an open fire, but it may be nicely cooked in a very hot oven. If it is of medium size, it will cook in an hour an a half; but if it is large, it will require nearly two hours. It is first to be exposed to intense heat until it is browned; then it is to be seasoned with salt and pepper, and every fifteen minutes to be basted with the drippings which fall from it. About half an hour before the loin is done, make the sauce as follows; and when the lamb is cooked, dish it on a hot platter, and serve the cucumber sauce in a gravy-boat with it. CUCUMBER SAUCE. Peel two large cucumbers, cut them in thin slices, and let them fall into salted cold water; peel and slice one medium-sized onion, put it into a saucepan with the cucumbers, and enough broth or gravy to cover them, and let them stew for fifteen minutes; then season the sauce highly with salt and pepper, and a tablespoonful of lemon-juice or vinegar, and use it with roast lamb. SADDLE OF MUTTON. The saddle of mutton is the double loin, cut before the carcass is split open, and trimmed as shown in the annexed cut. After the saddle is so prepared, it is roasted or baked, according to the directions given elsewhere, and then served hot, with currant-jelly . There is no better or more wholesome some meat than a prime saddle of mutton, which has been hung long enough to become tender. Saddle of Mutton. An illustration of a saddle of mutton. Directions are given in the chapter on Carving, for carving the saddle at table. BEAR MEAT. Bear-meat in good condition is not unlike beef, and it may be cooked in the same way. BUFFALO. Like bear-meat, buffalo resembles beef, when it is in prime condition. The flesh is darker than beef, and the fat has a reddish color; the heart, liver, and marrow are like those of beef; the latter is delicious; the tongue, and flesh of the hump, are the choice portions; buffalo- meat may be cooked like beef, and should be rather well done. BROILED VENISON. Cut venison into steaks about half an inch thick, broil it over a very hot fire, on a buttered gridiron, for four minutes on each side. While the venison is being broiled, melt on a dish before the fire, or in the oven, equal parts of currant -jelly and butter, a tablespoonful of each to a pound of venison, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; put the venison on this dish when it is broiled, turn it over once, and then serve it hot. FRIED VENISON. Put a thick slice of venison in the frying-pan with two tablespoonfuls of butter, and brown it quickly on both sides; season it with salt and pepper, add two tablespoonfuls of currant-jelly , and finish cooking the venison to the desired degree; then serve it, with the gravy it yields poured over it. BAKED SADDLE OF VENISON. The saddle of venison is the double loin. Have the ribs cut off close to use for soup, stew, or pastry; wipe all the hairs off with a soft cloth wet with warm water; tie thickly buttered paper over the upper part of the saddle, and lay it on a rack in a baking-pan; quickly brown the joint in a hot oven; then remove the paper, season the venison with salt and pepper; put into the dripping-pan half a cupful each of butter, boiling water, and currant-jelly , and baste the venison with this sauce until it is entirely brown; then serve it hot, at once, with the sauce in a gravy-boat. ROAST VENISON. The loin, saddle, haunch, or shoulder of venison may be roasted. After the piece has been carefully trimmed, and freed from hairs, wipe it with a wet towel, season it with salt and pepper, cover it with several thicknesses of buttered paper, or with a paste made of flour and water, to retain its juice; put the venison before the fire, and roast it twenty minutes to a pound; then take off the paper or paste, and quickly brown the venison. If a frothed appearance is desired, dredge the venison with flour, and baste it with butter, before browning it. Serve the roast venison very hot, with currant-jelly . LARDED SADDLE OF VENISON. After a saddle of venison has been trimmed, wipe it with a wet cloth to remove all hairs; lard it according to the directions given for larding fricandeaux of veal; cover the lardoons with several thicknesses of buttered paper, and then roast or bake the venison according to the directions given for cooking this game, and serve it hot, with currant-jelly and any good venison sauce, recipes for which are given elsewhere. A larded saddle of venison is illustrated in the chapter on Carving. SHOULDER OF VENISON LARDED. Bone and stuff a shoulder of venison, according to the directions given in any of the recipes for forcemeats. Lard it, and either roast or bake it, protecting the lardoons with several thicknesses of buttered paper; if the meat is basted while it is being cooked, take care not to baste the larded part, because that would soften the lardoons. When the venison is nearly done, season it with salt and cayenne, remove the buttered paper, brown the lardoons, and then remove the strings used to confine the stuffing, and serve the venison hot, with currant-jelly , or any of the sauces given for venison. This dish is illustrated in the chapter on Carving. HOW TO SKIN RABBITS, HARES, AND SQUIRRELS. Cut the skin of all the legs in a circle around the joint nearest the feet, and cut off the fore- feet; then cut the skin off the hind-legs, inside the legs, from the feet to the tail; loosen the skin, and turn it back until it is quite removed from the hind- legs; next, tie the hind- legs together, and hang the carcass up by them; now pull the skin downward toward the head, slipping out the fore- legs when they are reached; when the neck is reached, either cut off the head with the skin attached to it, or leave it on the body, and continue to pull the skin downward until the nose is reached; cut off the end of the nose. As the head is considered a delicacy by some persons, it is generally cooked with the rest of the carcass. After the skin has been removed, the carcass should be carefully wiped with a wet cloth to remove any hairs which may adhere to it; the entrails should then be removed, the blood, and the liver, heart, and kidneys being saved; the inside of the carcass should be washed with a cupful of vinegar, which is to be used with the blood for making whatever sauce or gravy is to be served with the game. The liver, heart, and kidneys are either cooked whole, or chopped very fine and mixed with the gravy. HARE BARDED AND ROASTED. After the hare has been dressed, as directed in the recipe for skinning hares and rabbits, bard it with a large slice of fat salt pork, as shown in the engraving of barded hare, and roast it on a spit before a hot fire, seasoning it with salt and pepper. A tender hare will roast in about an hour. The blood of the hare, and the drippings, will make a good brown gravy. Cleanse and chop the liver and heart, and stew them in the blood, together with a little vinegar and water; when they are tender, season the sauce with salt and cayenne, thicken it with a little of the drippings and flour browned together, and then serve it with the roast hare, sending currant-jelly to the table with it. HARE LARDED AND BAKED. After a young hare is dressed, lard it all over the middle of the back, just as other meats are larded; cover the larded portion with buttered or oil ed paper to prevent burning, removing the paper long enough to permit the lardoons to brown when the hare is done; and serve it like roast hare, with brown gravy and currant-jelly . An illustration of larded hare is given in the chapter on Carving. Rabbits and large squirrels may be roasted and baked. ORTOLANS, OR SNOW-BUNTINGS. These birds are said, in the current market report, to have been caught, of late years, in the Jersey meadows. They are properly in season in the early spring; but, like their kindred the reed-birds, they are often seen at different seasons in different localities. Any of the recipes given for reed-birds will serve for cooking ortolans: another is given below. Like all buntings, ortolans have a delicate flesh of delicious flavor, and when fat almost melt in the mouth. As the flesh of ortolans bruises easily, they should be carefully handled. The best method of cooking them is broiling, although any of the recipes given for cooking small birds will answer for cooking ortolans. BROILED ORTOLANS. Rub with melted butter or salad-oil as many sheets of white note-paper as there are birds, and cut them just large enough to double over the birds, and turn in all around the edges like a hem, as shown in the illustration of chops broiled in paper, in order to preserve the fat and the trail while the birds are being cooked. Carefully pluck and singe the birds; cut off the beaks and claws, skin the heads and necks, wipe them with a clean cloth, twist the feet, and lay the heads close to the sides of the birds, and then enclose the birds in the oiled paper; or, instead of the sheets of paper, use the small paper cases made by the confectioners, after dipping them in oil. After the birds are enclosed in the paper, or laid in the cases, put them on a gridiron, over a very gentle fire, and broil them for about five minutes, or until they swim in their own fat; then serve them at once in the papers, which are removed upon the plate just before eating the birds. Epicures take the birds by the legs, and bite them in mouthfuls, beginning at the head. The bones are so small and tender that they can be eaten. The bones are so small and tender that they can be eaten. Some persons cut the birds in quarters before eating, and do not eat the gizzards; the trail is always eaten. FRIED REED-BIRDS. 1 Pluck and dress the birds, splitting them down the back; season them rather highly with salt and pepper; roll them in flour, Indian meal, or sifted bread or cracker crumbs, and fry them brown in butter and lard equally mixed, and made smoking hot before the birds are put into it: or, dress them, and split, season, and fry them without breading or flour ing them. They must be served very hot, as soon as they are brown. BROILED REED-BIRDS. After dressing the reed-birds without splitting them, put an oyster in each one, season them with salt and pepper, and quickly broil them over a hot fire for about five minutes, and serve them hot at once. WOODCOCK ON TOAST. After the birds are plucked, skin the heads, wash the bills and feet, and cut off the claws; twist the legs, and run the bills through the sides of the birds as shown in the accompanying picture, and either roast or bake them. Put under the birds, while they are being cooked, neatly cut slices of bread to catch the drippings. When the woodcock are brown, season them with salt and pepper; and when they are done, serve them on the toast, with some watercress or a little parsley and lemon on the dish with them. The following note appears on the bottom of page 353 in the original text. 1 When it is necessary to keep reed-birds hot after cooking them, they should be placed in a covered tin pail set in boiling water; but, if possible, they should be served as soon as they are cooked. Woodcock on Toast. An illustration of woodcock on toast. FRIED WOODCOCK. Dress the birds as directed in the preceding recipe; have ready a frying-kettle half full of smoking-hot fat, and as many slices of bread as there are birds. Trim the crust from the bread, and toast it delicately while the woodcock are being fried; plunge the birds into the hot fat, fry them a delicate brown, then sprinkle them with salt, and serve them on the toast. SNIPE FRIED IN OIL. Until within a few years, there prevailed among American housekeepers an unfounded prejudice against the use of olive-oil in cooking. As a matter of fact, there is no cleaner fat than pure olive-oil. In warm weather a good oil is preferable to butter or lard for frying; rancid oil should never be used. To fry any substance in oil, put the oil over the fire in a small, deep frying-kettle, so that a comparatively small quantity will suffice to cover the article which is to be fried; and when a thin bluish smoke begins to rise from the oil, it will be found to be hot enough for frying. To prepare snipe for frying, remove all the feathers, and draw the birds, wipe them all over with a wet towel, cut off the claws, and twist the legs together; either roll the birds in flour or Indian meal seasoned with salt and pepper, or bread them by dipping them first in fine crumbs, then in beaten egg, and again in crumbs; or put them into the hot oil without any foreign substance on them. When the birds are crisp and light brown, they are done. Care must be taken not to cook them slowly and long, for they will be dried and hardened by so doing. If the oil is smoking hot, about a couple of minutes will be long enough to fry the snipe; when they are brown, lay them on brown paper for a few moments to free them from grease, and then serve them hot. A few cresses, or some sour oranges sliced and dressed with salad-oil and cayenne, will form a good garnish for the friend snipe. SNIPE BROILED WHOLE. Pluck and singe the birds, wipe them on a wet towel, dip them in butter which has been melted and seasoned with pepper and salt, place them over a hot fire, and broil them for three minutes on each side. This length of time will cook them medium rare; about fifteen minutes over a hot fire will cook them thoroughly. Serve the birds as soon as they are done. ROAST PLOVER. Pluck the birds carefully; cut off the claws, and twist the feet close to the body; truss the head under one wing; wipe the birds with a wet towel, tie a thin slice of fat salt pork or bacon over the breast of each one, and roast them on a spit before an open fire, with toast laid under them to catch the trail; or lay them on slices of toast, and bake them in a hot oven. About fifteen minutes should be allowed for cooking them; when they are done, put a little butter, pepper, and salt over them, and serve them hot. QUAIL BARDED AND ROASTED. After quail or any small birds are dressed, they can be barded by wrapping them in a thin slice of bacon or fat pork, as shown in the accompanying engraving, and then either roasted on a spit before the fire, or baked in the oven. When the birds are cooked, remove the strings used to confine the pork, and serve them on any green salad, or on toast. Small Birds Barded and Roasted. An illustration of small birds barded and roasted. ROAST QUAIL. To prepare this dish successfully, a clear, hot, open fire is best; but, in default, a very hot oven will finish them. Pluck, singe, and draw the birds, wipe them with a wet towel, and cut off the heads and feet; wrap each bird in a slice of fat salt pork, and pack them closely in a saucepan just large enough to hold them; season them highly with salt and cayenne, pour over them just enough boiling water to cover them, put the cover on the saucepan, and place it over a hot fire for five or ten minutes; then take up the quail, remove the pork, wipe the birds on a clean towel, rub them all over with butter, and roast them brown before a very hot fire, or in a hot oven, basting them twice with more butter and the drippings from them. Meantime, strain the gravy in which they were stewed, and melt with it an equal quantity of currant-jelly for sauce, or use cold currant -jelly with them. Serve the birds hot directly they are brown. BAKED QUAIL. After quail are dressed, put them into a pan large enough to hold them, dust them over with flour, season them with salt and pepper, put a little butter on each one, and bake them for about twenty minutes; when the quail are brown, take them up, and keep them hot; put the dripping-pan in which they were baked over the fire, stir in a teaspoonful of flour and about half a pint of water; let the gravy thus made boil for a moment, and then serve it with the quail. BROILED CANVAS-BACK DUCK. Pluck, singe, and wipe the duck; split it down the back, and remove the intestines; put it between the bars of a buttered double gridiron, and broil it over a hot fire, leaving the inside turned to the fire for twelve minutes; then turn the skin to the fire just long enough to brown it; season the duck with salt and pepper, and serve it at once. The assertion that canvas-back ducks owe their delicious flavor to the wild celery upon which they feed, is open to question. The writer has eaten ducks killed in the marshes of the great Western lakes, and in the far North-western territories, in localities where there are no beds of wild celery growing; and the flavor of the birds quite equalled that of those bagged at Havre de Grace. The flavor of the birds is best preserved by cooking them quickly by an intense fire, and serving them on very hot plates. The usual garnishes are currant-jelly , fried hominy, or celery. Sometimes a mayonnaise dressing is served with the celery. A recipe for this dressing is given elsewhere. The best canvas-back ducks are those which are heavy in proportion to their size, and have full bright eyes, and soft pliable feet. The birds deteriorate with long keeping; they should not be drawn until just before using them, and should never be washed. The more quickly they are cooked, the finer they will be; and the hot platter for serving, and hot plates, should always be ready before the ducks are done. The ducks should never be overdone. ROAST CANVAS-BACK DUCK. After a canvas-back has been dressed, put it before a very hot fire, and quickly brown it; let it cook twenty minutes; then season it with salt and pepper, and serve it hot, with celery and currant-jelly . CANVAS-BACK DUCK, PHILADELPHIA STYLE. Pluck, singe, and draw the duck, wipe it on a wet towel, truss the head under the wing, put the bird in a dripping-pan in a very hot oven, and bake it for half an hour. Have ready a lighted chafing-dish; when the duck is done, transfer it quickly to the chafing-dish, season it with salt and pepper, pour over it the gravy which it has yielded in baking, and serve it at once. BROILED CANVAS-BACK DUCK, DELMONICO STYLE. Dress the duck, split it down the back, rub salad-oil all over it, and season it with salt and pepper; put it between the bars of a double gridiron, and broil it over a very hot fire for twelve minutes, first exposing the inside to the fire. While the bird is being broiled, melt two tablespoonfuls of butter by a very gentle heat; mix with the butter a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, the juice of a lemon, a saltspoonful of salt, and a very little pepper, the juice of a lemon, a saltspoonful of salt, and a very little pepper; when the duck is broiled, lay it on a hot dish, pour the melted butter over it, and serve it hot at once. ROAST WILD DUCK. Pluck and singe the duck, wipe it with a wet towel, draw it carefully, and skewer the legs and wings in place. Put into the duck a whole onion peeled, plenty of salt and pepper, and a glass of claret, and lay it carefully in a dripping-pan just large enough to hold it. If the duck is of medium size, bake it in a hot oven, or roast it before the fire, for fifteen minutes; if large, let it cook twenty minutes; serve it hot with the gravy it yields in cooking, and a dish of currant-jelly . FILETS OF WILD DUCK, WITH ORANGE-SAUCE. For this dish, use only the breast or filets of wild duck, either broiled or roasted rare. While they are being cooked, cut the rind of a Seville or bitter orange in small shreds, and squeeze the juice; put the orange rind and juice into a saucepan with a gill of broth, and a glass of madeira, season the sauce palatably with salt and cayenne, simmer it for five minutes, and then serve it with the filets of wild duck. ROAST WIDGEON. Pluck and singe a pair of widgeons, cut off the heads and claws, draw the birds without breaking the entrails, and wipe them with a wet cloth; rub them all over with cold butter, dredge them with flour, and either roast them before a hot fire for fifteen minutes, or bake them about twenty minutes. Carefully preserve all the gravy that flows from them; when they are nearly done, dust them with salt and pepper; serve them hot directly they are done, with the gravy which flows from them, and currant-jelly , or with orange essence made as follows. ORANGE ESSENCE SAUCE. Chop very fine two peeled shallots or one onion; grate the yellow rind of a large orange; chop one ounce of ham or bacon very fine; put these ingredients into a small sauce -pan, add to them a slight dust of cayenne-pepper, half a pint of the gravy from roast wild fowl, a gill of port-wine, and a saltspoonful of salt, and gently simmer the sauce for ten minutes; meantime squeeze the juice from a whole orange and half a lemon into a sauce-boat; at the end of ten minutes, strain the sauce into the orange and lemon juice, and serve it at once. ROAST TEAL. Pluck and singe a pair of teal, wipe them with a wet towel, cut off the head and feet, and draw them without breaking the entrails; put a tablespoonful of butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper in each bird, and lay them in a dripping-pan; peel an onion, and put it into the pan with the teal; set the birds in a very hot oven, and bake them for twenty minutes, or roast them before the fire for fifteen minutes; in either case, baste them every five minutes, adding more butter if it is required for basting. Just before serving the birds, season them with salt; serve them with a sauce made as follows, while they are being cooked. ONION-SAUCE. Peel and chop fine a shallot or a small onion, put it over the fire with a tablespoonful of butter, and when the butter begins to brown, stir in a tablespoonful of flour; when the flour is brown, add half a pint each of port-wine and boiling water, a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and one grate of nutmeg; stir the sauce until it boils, and then keep it hot; when the birds are done, pour the drippings from them into the sauce, mix them well with it, and then serve it hot. ROAST PRARIE CHICKENS OR GROUSE. Pluck and singe the birds, wipe them with a wet towel, draw them, season them inside with salt and pepper, put a tablespoonful of butter in each, and sew up the cuts at the neck and vent. Cut a thin slice of fat salt pork to tie over the breast of each bird; truss them, lay them in a dripping-pan with a cupful of any good gravy or broth, or half a cupful each of wine and water, and bake or roast them for an hour if they are large; small birds will cook in less time. When they begin to brown, season them with salt and pepper, and rub a little butter over them. Serve them with a dish of currant-jelly , or with the gravy in the dripping-pan, first removing the grease from it. The pork may be omitted if the flavor is not liked. PRARIE CHICKENS BROILED. Pluck and singe the birds, wipe them with a wet towel, split them down the back, draw them, and place them between the bars of a buttered double wire gridiron. First expose the inside to the fire until it begins to brown; turn the breast to the fire, and slightly brown it; next rub a little butter all over the bird, season it with salt and pepper, and broil it quite brown on the inside, cooking it at least ten minutes; then finish browning the breast quickly. Serve the prarie-chicken hot, on a hot dish, with a tablespoonful of butter laid over it as soon as it is dished, and send it at once to the table. BROILED PARTRIDGE. Pluck a pair of partridges, singe them, and wipe them with a wet towel; split them down the back, breaking the merry-thought or wish-bone to make the breasts lie flat; rub them all over with cold butter, lay them between the bars of a double wire gridiron, and quickly broil them brown over a hot fire; serve them with currant-jelly , after lightly seasoning them with salt and pepper. Watercresses, lettuce, cucumbers, or Saratoga potatoes may be served with broiled grouse, or they may be placed on hot slices of buttered toast. ROAST PARTRIDGE. After a pair of partridges are dressed, put the birds before a hot fire, or in a very hot oven, and brown them quickly; after they are brown, season them with salt and pepper, baste them with a little butter, and allow them to cook for about half an hour; meantime fry a pint of coarse bread-crumbs brown in the frying-kettle, taking care to have the fat smoking hot; when they are brown, take them up with a skimmer, and lay them on brown paper to free them from grease; serve the roast partridge on the fried bread-crumbs. If gravy is desired, make it from the drippings in the pan, according to directions already given with roast-bird recipes. ROAST PTARMIGAN. Ptarmigan, or white grouse, also called willow grouse, a rare bird, is sometimes marketed. It should be kept as long as possible, and then carefully dressed, and either baked or roasted, and served on fried bread-crumbs. The crumbs are first sifted to secure rather large ones of even size, and then fried golden brown in plenty of smoking-hot fat; only a moment is required to fry them, and as soon as they are properly colored they should be skimmed out of the fat at once, and laid on brown paper to free them from grease. Either brown gravy or bread-sauce is served with ptarmigan. PHEASANTS GARNISHED WITH SNIPE. In this dish, both the pheasants and the snipe are roasted; the latter may each have an oyster inserted in it after it is dressed, or a small slice of bacon or fat salt pork wrapped about it, as directed in the recipe for barded birds. The small birds are arranged around the larger ones, and in serving they are helped with them. Any green salad or celery may be served with this dish. ROAST GUINEA-FOWL. When guinea-fowl is young and tender, it is very nice. To dress it, pluck it carefully, singe it, draw it without breaking the entrails, and wipe it with a wet towel; if stuffing is desired, use any of the force-meats already given for duck or goose, omitting the sage. Roast the birds before an open fire, or bake them in a hot oven, seasoning them, after they are brown, with salt and pepper; cook them rather well done, and then serve them hot, with plenty of currant-jelly . Guinea-fowl may also be stuffed and baked. BONED SQUABS AND PIGEONS. After the squabs are carefully plucked, cut off the head, wings, and legs, near the body; cut through the skin down the middle of the back, and then, keeping the knife pressed flat against the carcass of the bird, cut the flesh away from it until the joints of the wings and legs are reached; unjoint these, and continue cutting until the ridge of the breast-bone is reached; it is here that there is most danger of cutting or tearing the skin, so that great care must be exercised to prevent it. When the entire flesh has been freed from the carcass, lay it skin down on the table, take out the wing and leg bones from the inside, and replace the carcass with any good force-meat or stuffing; well-seasoned sausage-meat will be good for this purpose. Fold the skin over the force-meat, secure it in place with a few stitches, and round the bird in good shape; roast or bake the boned squabs, and serve them either with aspic jelly or a salad, after removing the string used to confine the force-meat. Orange salad is good with cold birds. The squabs may be served hot; and tender pigeons may be cooked in the same way, or they may be drawn carefully and either roasted or baked, with or without stuffing, and served with a brown gravy. ROAST TURKEY POULT. In the late spring and summer, turkey poults, or young turkeys, are preferable to the larger and older birds. They may be used as soon as they grow plump and well fleshed. Prepare a turkey poult for roasting by carefully removing the feathers, and then singe, and wipe it with a wet towel; draw it without breaking the intestines; thoroughly wash a fresh calf's tongue, or several smaller ones,--as many as the turkey will hold; put the tongue inside the turkey, after seasoning it with a level teaspoonful of salt and a dust of cayenne, and then sew up and truss the turkey; put it before an open fire, and quickly brown it on all sides, turning it frequently; when it is brown, season it with salt and pepper, basting it with the drippings which flow from it. A turkey poult of four or five pounds will roast in about an hour. At the end of three-quarters of an hour, run a sharp thin knife-blade into the flesh, at the joint where the leg is united to the body of the bird, and examine the juice that flows; if it is brownish in color, the poult is sufficiently cooked; if the juice is red, the bird is not yet done: when the poult is nearly done, change the dripping-pan under it; pour nearly all the drippings out of the pan, set it over the fire, stir in a heaping tablespoonful of flour, and continue to stir until the flour is brown; then gradually add a pint of boiling water, stirring the gravy thus formed until it boils and is quite smooth, then season it palatably with salt and pepper, and it will be ready to use. When the turkey poult is done, remove the trussing-cords or skewers, and serve it with the gravy; the tongue is carved, and served with the poult. Any green salad, or fresh tomatoes, make a good garnish for the poult. A salad of sour oranges, sliced and dressed with salad-oil and a little cayenne, is exceedingly good with any roast poultry. ROAST TURKEY. A large turkey may be roasted in the same way, the stuffing being made of tongue; or any of the following stuffings can be used. Baked turkeys are usually called roast. The oven should be very hot in order to cook them well. GIBLET STUFFING. Put the giblets over the fire, in enough boiling water to cover them, with a teaspoonful of salt and quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and boil them gently until they are tender; save the water in which the giblets were boiled, to use for gravy; chop them quite fine, put them in a frying-pan over the fire with four ounces of butter, two cupfuls of stale bread crumbled fine, a palatable seasoning of salt, pepper, and any powdered sweet herb except sage; stir all these ingredients together until they are light brown; add a glass of sherry or madeira, and use the force-meat for stuffing the turkey. SALT-PORK STUFFING. Chop fine a quarter of a pound of fat and lean salt pork, and break two cupfuls of bread fine; put them over the fire in a frying-pan with two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, and fry them brown; season this force-meat rather highly with salt, pepper, and any powdered sweet herb except sage, and use it for stuffing the turkey. SUET STUFFING. Remove all membrane from a quarter of a pound of suet, chop it very fine, mix it with three cupfuls of fine stale bread, three raw eggs, a glass of wine, and a palatable seasoning of powdered marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper; use this force-meat for stuffing a turkey. POTATO STUFFING. Peel, boil, and mash a quart of white potatoes ; add to them a quarter of a pound of butter and a palatable seasoning of salt, pepper, and any sweet herb except sage; use this force-meat for stuffing the turkey. ROAST TURKEY PARTLY BONED. Remove all feathers from the turkey, singe it, and wipe it all over with a wet towel. Lay the bird on its breast, and cut down the middle of the back in a straight line; then, cutting from the neck downward, and keeping the knife-blade close to the carcass, find the joints which unite the wings to the body, and unjoint them, leaving the bones of the wings in the flesh; then, still cutting close to the bones, reach the thighs, and unjoint them, leaving the bones in the legs; free the carcass of the turkey entirely from the flesh, taking care not to cut through the outer skin of the bird, especially along the front of the breast-bone. When all the flesh has been taken from the bones in this way, lay it, skin downward, upon the table, and season it with salt and pepper; remove the gall from the liver, and place the liver on the skin of the neck, from which the crop has been removed; next, lay on the flesh of the bird the oyster force-meat, prepared as directed in the following recipe; draw the skin together at the back, and sew it with large stitches, taking care that enough force-meat is used to fill the body of the turkey out plump. Truss the bird with skewers or string, so that its original shape is restored; tie a large thin slice of fat salt pork over the breast, and roast it before an open fire, or bake it in a hot oven, about twenty minutes to a pound; baste the bird every fifteen minutes with the drippings, seasoning it when it is brown; if a frothed surface is desired, dredge the turkey with flour before basting it. When it is done, remove the skewers or strings which hold it in place, and serve it with gravy made from the drippings in the pan; the giblets being boiled tender, then chopped, and added to the gravy. Serve celery with the roast turkey. OYSTER FORCE-MEAT. Strain the liquor from a quart of oysters, and pour it over sufficient stale bread to fill the body of the turkey; carefully remove all bits of shell from the oysters, and then add them to the bread with a teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a stalk of celery minced very fine, or a level teaspoonful of celery-leaves dried and powdered; use the force-meat thus made, for stuffing the turkey, as directed in the preceding recipe. The turkey may be stuffed with the same force-meat used for boned turkey, or with any of the usual poultry stuffings. It may be used either hot or cold. An illustration of the dish is given in the chapter on Carving. ROAST TURKEY WITH TRUFFLES. This dish is seldom prepared in this country, because truffles are very expensive,--at least a pound of truffles being required for a small turkey. Of course the fresh truffles are the best; and when they are obtainable, they should be carefully cleansed in cold water, with a soft brush. The canned truffles are to be taken from the liquor in which they are preserved; the liquor should be used to make the sauce or gravy for the turkey. Keep the finest of the truffles whole; chop the others very fine; chop or pound in a mortar the white fat of bacon until the quantity equals that of the truffles; mix the bacon and truffles, season them palatably with salt and pepper, and stuff the turkey with them after it has been dressed as directed in the recipe for roast turkey; sew up the turkey, truss it, and keep it in a cold place for three days; then roast or bake it carefully, saving all the drippings for sauces or gravies; make a gravy as directed for roast turkey, using the giblets and some of the drippings and liquor from the truffles. Serve the truffled turkey either hot or cold. LARDED TURKEY. The accompanying engraving shows a turkey dressed, trussed with strings, and larded with fat salt pork, ready for roasting or baking. The larded parts of the turkey must be well covered with oiled or buttered paper while the bird is being cooked: the paper should be taken off just before the turkey is done, in order to allow the lardoons to brown. A young turkey larded and roasted, and served with a garnish of watercresses dressed with a plain French salad-dressing, is one of the most delicious of all poultry roasts. Larded Turkey. An illustration of larded turkey IMPLEMENTS FOR LARDING AND TRUSSING. The accompanying engravings show the needles for larding and trussing. The first represents a case of larding-needles of various sizes; the split ends, in which the lardoons are placed, to be drawn through the flesh, protrude from the case. The second cut shows the large and medium size of trussing-needles, which vary from four to twelve or more inches in length; they are used for sewing up cuts in meat, or for trussing meat, game, and poultry. Case of Larding-Needles. An illustration of a case of larding-needles. Trussing-Needles. An illustration of two trussing-needles. SPRING CHICKEN, BROILED. After the chicken is plucked, singed, and wiped with a wet towel, split it down the back, dress it without breaking the entrails, break the joints of the wings and legs; put it between the bars of a buttered double gridiron, and broil it quite brown, not too close to the fire, cooking the inside thoroughly before turning the skin to the fire; be sure it is quite done at the joints; then season it with salt and pepper, lay on buttered toast, put a tablespoonful of butter over it, and serve it hot at once. BARDED CHICKEN OR GAME. The accompanying engraving shows a fowl or chicken, dressed and trussed, with a large thin slice of fat salt pork or bacon tied over the breast : this is called barding. The subsequent cooking may be by braising, baking, or roasting, as desired. After the fowl is cooked, the strings which are used for trussing and barding are removed, and the bird is served with any sauce or garnish preferred. Barded Fowl. An illustration of a barded fowl Any rather dry game, like partridge or quail, gains much flavor and succulence by being barded it is cooked. SPRING CHICKEN, BAKED. Pluck and singe a spring chicken, wipe it with a wet towel, split it down the back, and dress it without breaking the entrails; clean the heart, liver, and gizzard, and chop them fine; put the chicken into a dripping-pan large enough to let it lie out flat, after first breaking the joints of the wings and legs; season it highly with salt and pepper, sprinkle over it the chopped heart, put a large tablespoonful of butter on it, and place it in a very hot oven for about twenty minutes, or until it is done at the joints and nicely browned; turn it two or three times while it is cooking, to make sure that it is evenly done. Serve the chicken on buttered toast, pouring over it the gravy in the dripping-pan. This is a very nice way to cook chicken when there is not a good broiling-fire. ROAST CHICKEN WITH CHESTNUTS. Use the chicken boiled for chicken and rice soup; or dress a small fowl carefully, and boil it gently until it is tender, in sufficient water to cover it; while the chicken is being boiled, either boil or roast enough chestnuts to fill it; if the nuts are to be roasted, make a cross cut on each to prevent the bursting of the shell; remove the shells and skin of the chestnuts, fill the chicken with them, and brown it quickly, either before an open fire, or in a hot oven, basting it every five minutes with butter, salt, and pepper, mixed together; serve the chicken as soon as it is brown. ROAST GOOSE AND GOSLING. Both geese and goslings for roasting are to be dressed like turkeys and chickens, for which recipes have been given. The stuffings are the same, except that sage is used for geese and ducks, and thyme, savory, and marjoram for other poultry. Gosling make a delicious roast. After the birds are cooked, they may be served with any of the gravies or sauces given below. GREEN APPLE SAUCE. Peel and slice a quart of green apples, put them over the fire with half a cupful of water and a cupful of white sugar, and stew them gently to a pulp, stirring them occasionally to prevent burning; when the apples are stewed to a pulp, add to them two tablespoonfuls of butter, half a cupful of cream, and a very little grated nutmeg; stir the sauce until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and then serve it with roast gosling. SORREL-SAUCE. Carefully wash a quart of fresh green sorrel-leaves ; put them over the fire in plenty of salted boiling water, and boil them fast for about five minutes, or until they are tender; then drain them, and throw them into cold water until they are cold; drain them again, and rub them through a sieve with a potato-masher ; put them into a porcelain-lined saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of butter, the juice of a lemon, a tablespoonful of white sugar, and enough brown gravy made from the drippings of the gosling to make the sauce of the proper consistency; serve it as soon as it is hot, with roast or baked gosling. GOOSEBERRY-SAUCE. Remove the tops and stems from a pint of green gooseberries; put them over the fire in a porcelain saucepan, with two tablespoonfuls of white sugar, and half a cupful of boiling water. Stew them gently until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve with a potato-masher. While the gooseberries are being stewed, make a white sauce as follows: Put over the fire in a saucepan a heaping tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they are smoothly blended; then gradually stir with them a pint of boiling water, a level teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper. Let the sauce boil for a moment, add the gooseberry-pulp to it and then serve it with roast or baked gosling. This sauce is sometimes colored green with spinach or sorrel-juice . GREEN SAUCE FOR GOSLINGS OR GEESE. Cut the tops and stems from a pint of green gooseberries; put them over the fire in a porcelain saucepan with half a cupful of boiling water, and four lumps of white sugar; stew them gently until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve with a potato-masher ; then return them to the saucepan. While the gooseberries are being stewed, pound in a mortar a pint of spinach or sorrel leaves , and then put them into a towel, and wring them to extract the juice; add this juice to the gooseberry-pulp , together with a tablespoonful of butter and a glass of madeira; heat the sauce, and serve it at once. BROWN GRAVY FOR ROAST GOOSE OR GOSLING. After the gosling is roasted or baked, pour nearly all the fat out of the pan, but do not pour away the brown part of the drippings; put the pan over the fire, stir into it a heaping tablespoonful of flour, and let the flour brown. Then stir in a pint of boiling water, season the gravy palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil for a moment, and then serve it with the gosling. The giblets, cooked as directed in the recipe for giblet gravy given below, may be added to this gravy. In that case, the broth in which the giblets were boiled would be used instead of boiling water to make the gravy. GIBLET GRAVY FOR ROAST GOOSE OR GOSLING. Skin the head and neck of the gosling; remove all pin-feathers from the tips of the wings; scald and scrape the legs and feet, after cutting off the claws; clean the heart and gizzard, and cut away the gall from the liver; put them all into a saucepan with enough boiling water to entirely cover them, with salt and pepper in a palatable quantity, and boil them until the gosling is nearly done; then remove all the bones, and chop the flesh and skin. Save the water in which they were boiled; put over the fire in a saucepan a heaping tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they are brown; gradually stir in the chopped giblets and broth. If there is not enough broth to make a gravy of the proper consistency, add a little boiling water; season the gravy palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil for a moment, and serve it with the roast gosling. DUCKLINGS, OR SPRING DUCKS. Although these delicious birds are not so well known as spring chickens, they rival them in tenderness, while they surpass their flavor. In summer, they sell for about the same price. To prepare them for the table, carefully pluck out all pin-feathers, singe them, draw them without breaking the intestines, and stuff them with any good force-meat if they are to be roasted; or cook them in accordance with any recipe which promises good results. ROAST DUCKLINGS WITH ORANGE-SAUCE. Dress a pair of ducklings as directed in recipes for other poultry; chop the liver, heart, and gizzard; grate the rind of two oranges, and squeeze the juice; mix the minced liver, etc., with the grated orange-peel , and an equal measure of bread-crumbs softened with cold water; season this force-meat palatably with salt and pepper, stuff the ducklings with it, truss them, and roast them before a moderate fire, basting them with their own drippings, or with a little butter; when the birds are done, set the dripping-pan over the fire; stir with the drippings a tablespoonful of flour, and brown it, then stir in the orange-juice, and enough hot water to make the sauce the proper consistency; let it boil up, season it palatably with salt and pepper, and serve it with the roast ducklings. DUCKLING WITH ONIONS. Pluck and singe a large duckling, wipe it with a wet towel, cut off the head and feet, and draw it without breaking the intestines. Wash two bunches of young green onions, cut them in half-inch lengths, put them into plenty of salted boiling water, boil them for five minutes, and then drain them; add to the onions an equal quantity of bread-crumbs, a tablespoonful of butter, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper. Stuff and truss the duckling, put it into a dripping-pan just large enough to hold it, and set it in a very hot oven to brown, or roast it before the fire; when it is brown, season it with salt and pepper, and baste it with the drippings in the pan; bake the duckling about half an hour, or until it is done; put the duckling on a hot dish; set the pan over the fire, stir into the drippings a heaping tablespoonful of flour, and brown it; when the flour is brown, add a pint of boiling water, season the gravy thus made with salt and pepper, let it boil for a moment, and then serve it with the duckling. It may be served with a garnish of water-cresses , or with apple-sauce, or pickled apples. A less quantity of onions may be used with the duckling. Ducks may be cooked in the same way, or like geese and goslings. DUCK WITH ORANGE-SAUCE. Pluck and singe the duck, wipe it with a wet towel, and draw it carefully; chop the liver fine with an equal quantity of fat bacon; add to it one onion peeled and chopped, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, a saltspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and the grated rind of an orange; use this force-meat to stuff the duck. After the duck is stuffed, truss it in shape, tie over the breast a large thin slice of fat bacon, put it into a dripping-pan just large enough to hold it, and place it in a hot oven for fifteen or twenty minutes. ORANGE-SAUCE. While the duck is baking, scrape a tablespoonful each of fat bacon and raw onion, and fry them together for five minutes; add to them the juice of an orange, a glass of port-wine, the drippings from the duck, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; keep the sauce thus made hot, without boiling, and serve it with the duck when the latter is done. CHAPTER VIII. SALADS AND VEGETABLES (Salades et Entremêts). THE variety of salads depends solely upon the taste and ingenuity of the housekeeper, for the possibilities are illimitable. Those made of uncooked vegetables should always be fresh and crisp. If they are wilted in the least degree, they should be washed, without draining, and put into a cool, dark place to revive. Before using them, all decayed leaves should be removed, and the moisture absorbed from them by using a soft, clean towel. Cucumbers should be peeled, and laid in cold salted water for an hour before serving them, and then shaken dry in a clean towel, and dressed with pepper, salt, vinegar, and plenty of good oil. Radishes should be similarly dressed. If they are very pungent in taste, a very little sugar will modify their sharpness. The young, white leaves of oyster-plant , mixed with an equal quantity of chopped green onions, both being well cleansed, make a good salad. Green peppers, chopped without the seeds, and added to cabbage shaved fine, are excellent. Nasturtium leaves, stems, and buds, washed and chopped, dressed with salt, oil, and vinegar, are very good; the flowers may be used to garnish the dish. All these salads should be dressed with the plain French salad-dressing. Enough for a medium-sized salad may be made by mixing thoroughly together a heaping saltspoonful of salt, half a level saltspoonful of pepper, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and six of salad-oil. Tomatoes may be sliced after washing, and served with plain salad-dressing, or peeled and served with a mayonnaise. In either case they should be firm and ripe, sliced nicely, and kept in a very cold place until wanted for the table. Celery should be carefully washed in plenty of salted water; the green leaves and stalks trimmed off, and either used fresh for flavoring sauces, soups, and force- meats, or dried by gentle heat for later use; the roots should be peeled, dried, and then grated and mixed with salt for table use. The white stalks are best for the table; after they are washed, they may be kept in a cool, dark place, or in the refrigerator, near the ice. Frozen celery must be laid in plenty of cold water as soon as it is brought into the house, and kept there until all the frost is extracted: thawing it by heat destroys its excellence. Lettuce should be kept on or near the ice after it is washed, or in a cool, dark place, entirely wrapped in a cloth wet in cold water : if it is enclosed in an air-tight box after it is wrapped in the wet cloth, it will keep fresh for some time, care being taken to renew the wet cloth, and trim off all defective leaves. WATERCRESS SALAD. Carefully wash a pint of fresh watercresses, free them from all decayed leaves, break them in lengths of about two inches, and shake them dry in a clean towel; arrange them neatly on a cold dish, and dress them with three tablespoonfuls of oil, one of vinegar, and a dust of salt and pepper. Dandelion, oyster-plant , chicory, escarole, and nasturtium may be served in the same way. FRENCH SALAD DRESSING. This is the usual dressing for vegetable salads: enough for a medium-sized salad-bowl can be made by mixing together two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, six of oil, a saltspoonful of salt, and quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper. SLICED CUCUMBERS. Peel two or three cucumbers, cut them in thin slices, and let them stand for an hour in very cold salted water; then drain them, dry them on a towel, and dress them with plenty of oil and vinegar, and a palatable seasoning of salt and cayenne-pepper; or, with cream salad-dressing. Young onions sliced make a good addition to cucumber salad. CREAM SALAD DRESSING. Is made by mixing sour cream with enough vinegar, pepper, and salt to season the salad palatably. PEPPER SALAD. Remove the skin from six green peppers, and chop them fine. Peel one red pepper, and chop it very fine; peel and chop a Spanish onion, weighing a quarter of a pound; peel and chop six tomatoes; mix with these ingredients two teaspoonfuls of salt. Carefully separate the leaves of two heads of lettuce, wash them in plenty of cold water, and dry them by shaking them in a towel. Arrange the lettuce and chopped salad in a salad-bowl in layers, pour over it half a cupful of salad-oil and three tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and serve it. ONION AND TOMATO SALAD. Choose half a dozen firm, ripe tomatoes of medium size, wipe them with a wet towel, and slice them about a quarter of an inch thick; peel a medium-size Valencia or Spanish onion, and slice it very thin; arrange the sliced onion and tomatoes in layers in a salad-bowl, and pour over them a plain salad-dressing, made by mixing together half a cupful of salad-oil, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, half a level teaspoonful of salt, and half a saltspoonful of pepper; use the salad as soon as it is made. Young green onions may be used in this salad. VEGETABLE SCOOPS. The first picture shows several forms of vegetable scoops, made of steel, and set in stout wooden handles. They are used for cutting vegetables for soups, garnishes, and salads. After the vegetable is peeled, the inside of the scoop is laid against the rounded surface, the thumb of the left hand presses the bowl of the scoop firmly into the vegetable, while with the right hand the scoop is held tightly and forced into the vegetable, first with a rocking and then with a circular motion. A little practice will soon enable one, with a strong hand, to cut the vegetables as shown on the upper line of the second picture, in the first four figures. The figures marked 5 and 6 are cut with a sharp vegetable knife; and 7 and 8, with the cylindrical vegetable cutters, a picture of which is given elsewhere. TOMATOES WITH MAYONNAISE. Raw tomatoes, peeled and sliced, are delicious with mayonnaise, which is made by slowly mixing three parts of oil and one of vinegar with the yolk of a raw egg, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; the addition of mustard to mayonnaise is a question of taste. The egg and seasonings are put in the bottom of a bowl, with a very little vinegar, and mixed to a smooth cream; the oil and vinegar are then added alternately, a few drops at a time, until the desired quantity of mayonnaise is made; the stirring must be gentle and constant, and, after the mayonnaise is made, it must be kept in a cool place until it is used. Vegetable Scoops. An illustration of four different vegetable scoops Vegetables cut with Scoops and Cylinders. An Illustration of eight vegetables cut with scoops and cylinders. COLD SLAW. Wash a firm head of white cabbage of medium size, in plenty of cold water, and cut it in thin slices. Put in a porcelain-lined saucepan over the fire, half a cupful each of vinegar and water, two tablespoonfuls of butter, half a saltspoonful of pepper, and a level teaspoonful of salt, and let them just begin to boil; then draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, where its contents will not boil; stir in the yolks of four raw eggs, and as soon as this sauce is stirred smooth pour it over the cabbage; serve the cold slaw with roast meat or poultry. HOT SLAW. Carefully wash a head of firm cabbage, cut it in shreds, and put it over the fire in salted boiling water, to boil only until tender, which will be in from five to twenty minutes, according to the age of the cabbage; then drain it, and serve it with a dressing made as follows: Melt together by gentle heat two tablespoonfuls of butter, half a cupful of rich cream, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and add them to the boiled cabbage; season it palatably with salt and pepper, and serve it as soon as it is prepared, with any dish of fried poultry or meat. CHEESE SALAD. Use any dry, rich cheese, such as Edam, Rochefort, or Gorgonzola, about two heaping tablespoonfuls to a head of lettuce of medium size; carefully wash the lettuce, tear the leaves apart, and lay them in a salad-dish; break the cheese in small bits, and scatter it among the lettuce; pour over it a plain salad-dressing, made as directed above, and serve the salad at once. SALADS OF COOKED VEGETABLES. These salads are made of different vegetables, which have been boiled and allowed to cool. When green vegetables are to be used, such as asparagus, pease, and string-beans , they should be boiled in salted boiling water, only until tender, and then drained and put into cold water at once to preserve their color. Before they are served as salads, they should be drained on a dry cloth to free them from moisture. Cold asparagus served with mayonnaise is delicious. Boiled cauliflower with mayonnaise is good. Carrots, turnips, and beets boiled, cooled, and cut in fancy shapes with vegetable scoops, may be served either with mayonnaise or plain dressing. POTATO SALAD. Potato-salad is composed of boiled potatoes , peeled and sliced, one onion, peeled and sliced very thin, to six potatoes , and plenty of plain salad-dressing; sometimes a little chopped parsley is added. Variations of potato-salad are made by the addition of green onions chopped fine, lettuce, or small dice of fried salt pork. AMERICAN POTATO SALAD. Peel half a dozen cold boiled potatoes , and slice them, not too thin; boil two eggs hard; wash, and chop rather fine, one head of celery; peel one onion, and chop it fine; break the yolks of the hard-boiled eggs smooth with the yolk of one raw egg; stir with them a gill of oil, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, a level teaspoonful each of salt and dry mustard, and a saltspoonful of pepper; mix this dressing with the potato, celery, and onion, and serve the salad. BEET AND POTATO SALAD. Use equal quantities of boiled new potatoes and new beets; peel them while they are still hot, cut them in half-inch dice, season them with salt and pepper, and dress them with vinegar and plenty of good salad-oil; or with a salad-dressing made according to the recipe given with the water -cress salad. SALAD OF FRENCH BEANS. Pick over a pint of French haricot beans , - the large, dark-red variety; put them over the fire in a quart of cold water, and let them begin to boil; then add a cupful of cold water, and let them boil again; every fifteen minutes add more cold water, and continue to boil the beans until they are tender; then drain them, and let them get quite cold. To each pint of cold boiled beans , add two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley, and a plain salad-dressing composed of six tablespoonfuls of oil, two of vinegar, a saltspoonful of salt, with half a saltspoonful of pepper; mix these ingredients thoroughly, pour them over the beans, and serve the salad. Cold string-beans make a good salad. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SALAD. Use for this salad cold boiled artichokes; slice them without breaking them, arrange the slices neatly on a dish, and pour over them a plain salad-dressing made by mixing together three tablespoonfuls of oil to one of vinegar, a saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper. FRUIT SALADS. The fruits which we are accustomed to associate with breakfast or dessert may be used as salads: the only point to be remembered is that they must be of a pronounced flavor or acid. Orange salad , made of thinly sliced oranges, freed from seeds, and dressed with salt, cayenne, lemon-juice, and oil, one tablespoonful of lemon-juice to three of oil, is a delicious accompaniment for broiled or roasted game or poultry. Lemon salad is composed of sliced lemons, the seeds being removed, and lettuce carefully washed and dried; the dressing is salt, cayenne, and oil. Apple salad is made of very tart apples, sliced, and mixed with young green onions chopped, and plain salad-dressing. In summer, gooseberries or barberries, combined with young onions or cucumbers, sliced, and served with plain dressing, are very good with boiled salt mackerel. Currants mixed with well-washed lettuce, and dressed with salt, pepper, and oil, are refreshing and wholesome. A delicious breakfast salad is muskmelon, made very cold, cut in the natural divisions, freed from seeds, and served with salt, pepper, oil, and lemon-juice, one tablespoonful of lemon-juice to three of oil. Watermelon with mayonnaise makes a good salad, as also does grape-fruit. MAYONNAISE FOR SALAD. Make a mayonnaise salad-dressing as follows: Put into a bowl the yolk of one raw egg, one level teaspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of white pepper, a dust of cayenne-pepper, and a teaspoonful of vinegar; quickly mix these ingredients to a smooth cream, then stir into them salad-oil and vinegar, first adding the oil, two or three drops at once, and mixing it smoothly with the first-named ingredients until a thick paste is formed; then stir in a very little vinegar, using only enough to make the mayonnaise about as thick as rich cream; then add more oil, a few drops at a time, until the thick paste is again formed; then a little vinegar, as before; proceed in this way, using oil and vinegar alternately, and stirring the mayonnaise constantly, until three-quarters of a pint of oil and one-quarter of a pint of vinegar have been used. When done, the mayonnaise should be like very thick cream; if it should curdle or break during the mixing, put it in the ice-box, or in a very cold place, for half an hour, and then finish it; if the weather is warm, place the bowl containing it in a pan of cracked ice while it is being mixed. After the mayonnaise is mixed, keep it in a cold place until it is wanted for the table. SALMON SALAD. For a salmon salad, mix together one part of cold boiled or canned salmon and two parts of chopped celery which has been thoroughly washed, and dried on a clean towel; season these ingredients palatably with salt and pepper, put them into a salad-bowl, pour over them a very little salad-oil and vinegar, using about three tablespoonfuls of oil and one of vinegar to a quart of salad, and then put the mayonnaise on the top of the salad, and serve it at once. The salad may be garnished with cold hard-boiled eggs sliced or quartered, pickled beets, olives and capers, or any of these articles; or it may be served without a garnish. CHICKEN SALAD. A good salad can be made from cold boiled or roasted chicken, cut in small pieces; for a pint of chicken allow a large head of lettuce, thoroughly washed and torn in pieces, and a cupful of mayonnaise. To make the mayonnaise, put into an earthen bowl the yolk of a raw egg, a level teaspoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of vinegar, and a little pepper; stir these ingredients until they are smoothly mixed, and then gradually drop in a cupful of good salad-oil, adding it slowly, and stirring the mayonnaise constantly until it grows quite thick; then use a few drops of vinegar to thin it a little, and after that stir in more oil; proceed in this way until all the oil is used; when ready to serve the salad, mix the lettuce and chicken in a salad-bowl, season them lightly with salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar, pour the mayonnaise over the salad, and serve it at once. Chicken salad is sometimes made with celery instead of lettuce, and is usually garnished with hard-boiled eggs; cold boiled beets, capers, olives, and the small leaves of lettuce or celery are also used to garnish chicken salad. SWEETBREAD SALAD. Blanch sweetbreads as directed in the proper recipe, and continue to boil them for fifteen minutes; then cool and slice them. Wash for each pair of sweetbreads a head of lettuce in plenty of cold salted water, and dry it on a clean towel; put the yolk of a raw egg in a bowl; add to it a level teaspoonful each of dry mustard and salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of vinegar; mix these ingredients to a smooth cream, then stir in, drop by drop, enough oil to form a thick paste; next add a little vinegar until there is enough dressing for the salad. Arrange the lettuce on a salad-dish, put the sweetbreads on it, and pour the dressing over them. Serve the salad as soon as it is made. OYSTER SALAD. Oysters, carefully freed from bits of shell, and scalded in their liquor, may be used for salad as directed in the above recipe. SHAD-ROE SALAD. Wash a shad-roe in cold water; put it over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil it for fifteen minutes, or until the grains are hardened; then drain it, pour a little vinegar over it, and rub it until the grains are separated; peel and slice half a dozen raw tomatoes; thoroughly wash and drain a head of fresh lettuce; put the lettuce in the bottom of a salad-bowl, then the tomato and shad-roe in layers, and pour over all six tablespoonfuls of oil and two of vinegar or lemon-juice, and serve the salad. Cold fried or broiled shad-roe may be used in this dish. SHRIMP SALAD. Prepare a quart of shrimp as directed in the recipe for shrimp sauce; wash two heads of fresh lettuce; shake the water from the leaves, and arrange them on a salad-bowl; put the shrimp in a little heap in the centre of the lettuce, and pour over them a mayonnaise, made without mustard, as follows: Put the yolk of a raw egg in a bowl, stir it with a fork, and mix oil with it, a few drops at a time, until quite a thick paste is formed; next slowly mix in enough vinegar to thin it; then again add oil and vinegar, stirring the dressing gently and constantly, until the desired quantity of mayonnaise is made, using one-third as much vinegar as oil; season it palatably with salt and pepper, and use it with the salad. Prawns make a delicious salad. HOT LOBSTER SALAD. This salad must be served directly it is made. Choose a medium-sized lobster, heavy for its size, and quite alive; plunge it head first into a large pot half full of boiling water, and boil it for about twenty minutes, or until the shell is quite red; cool the lobster until it can be handled; then take it from the shell, using a can-opener to separate the shell; save all the coral, green fat, and the flesh of the lobster. Throw away the intestine, which runs through the flesh of the tail; the "lady," or membranous sack, which lies back of the eyes; the "dead men," or soft fins, which lie under the small legs, close to the body and the shell. Cut the flesh of the lobster in pieces about an inch square. While the lobster is being prepared, boil two eggs hard, remove the shells, and cut the eggs in quarters; carefully wash and dry two medium-sized heads of lettuce, cut them in quarters, and keep them in a cold place; put into a saucepan four tablespoonfuls each of butter and vinegar, a mustard-spoonful of made mustard, a saltspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, a dust of cayenne, and the lobster, and place the saucepan over the fire; arrange the lettuce around the sides of a salad-bowl; stir the lobster until it is hot, pour into the salad-bowl, garnish it with the hard-boiled eggs, and serve it at once. The success of this salad depends upon the rapidity with which it is made and served. LOBSTER SALAD. Prepare the lobster as directed in the preceding recipe, but do not heat it. Arrange it on a dish with the lettuce, pour over it a mayonnaise, and garnish it with hard-boiled eggs, and the coral and small claws; capers, cold boiled beets, olives, and the small lettuce -leaves may also be used to garnish the salad. A recipe for mayonnaise has already been given. NEW POTATOES. Wash and scrape a pint of small, even-sized new potatoes , putting them into cold water as fast as they are scraped; when all are done, put them over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil them only until they can be easily pierced with a fork; then drain off the water, put with them a tablespoonful of butter, a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and sufficient milk to entirely cover them; let them boil gently for five minutes, and then serve them. New potatoes boiled until tender, and then rolled in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, and browned in butter, either in a frying-pan or in a hot oven, are very good. New potatoes carefully washed, and then baked in a dripping-pan, either with just enough butter to favor browning, or plain, are excellent if they are served directly they are done; they grow watery by standing. Broiled new potatoes are prepared either by slicing them raw or after they have been partly boiled, dipping them in melted butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then browning them over a hot fire, between the bars of a buttered double wire gridiron. Cold boiled new potatoes chopped, and browned in butter, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, are excellent for breakfast or luncheon. BERMUDA POTATOES. The Bermuda potatoes , which are the first new potatoes marketed, may be prepared according to any of the potato recipes; they are generally of a good size and flavor, and mealy in texture; they are excellent boiled plain, as an accompaniment for fish. BOILED POTATOES. Choose small, smooth potatoes of even size; wash them, and then peel them, taking care to remove only a very thin paring, and to keep them smooth, and laying each one in cold water as it is peeled; or, remove part of the paring; place the potatoes over the fire in plenty of salted boiling water, and boil them for ten minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork; do not allow the potatoes to boil until they begin to break, but drain them as soon as they are tender; after draining the potatoes , cover them with a clean towel folded several times, and place the saucepan containing them where they will keep hot without burning until they are wanted for the table: the folded towel will retain the heat, and at the same time permit the steam to escape, so that the potatoes will be mealy and unbroken when they are served. Potatoes may be boiled in their jackets in the same way, a thin ring of paring being removed after they are washed; as is the case with the peeled potatoes , care must be taken to drain the potatoes as soon as they are tender enough to be pierced with a fork, and they must then be covered with a folded towel, and allowed to steam. BAKED POTATOES. Potatoes for baking should be of medium size, smooth, and carefully washed; the oven should be hot, and the potatoes watched after they have been baking for twenty minutes; as soon as they are soft enough to yield to pressure, they should be served at once, because, after they are really done, they spoil very soon. MASHED POTATOES. Peel the desired quantity of potatoes , slice them half an inch thick, put them into salted boiling water, and boil them until tender; then pour them into a colander, and set it over a hot dish when all the water has drained away; put with a quart of potatoes , a tablespoonful of butter, the yolk of a raw egg, and a palatable seasoning of salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, and rub them through the colander with a potato-masher. Serve the potatoes the moment they are mashed, or they will grow cold; if they cannot be sent to the table directly they are done, set them into a hot oven and brown them. Be sure to serve them hot. If the egg is omitted, the potatoes may be more highly seasoned; or a very little milk may replace it, but not enough to make the potatoes too moist. Cold mashed potatoes may be re-warmed by stirring them over the fire with just enough milk to soften them, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; or, made into little cakes or balls, and fried brown in hot fat; or, mixed with finely minced meat, and warmed in a frying-pan, with a palatable seasoning of salt, pepper, and butter. POTATO STRAWS. Wash a pint of potatoes , peel them very thin, slice them about a quarter of an inch thick; put them into plenty of salted boiling water, and boil them until they are tender, which will be in about ten minutes; when the potatoes are tender, pour them into a colander with large holes, and let the water drain off; when the potatoes are quite dry, sprinkle over them a teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper; hold the colander over one end of a large platter, and press upon the potatoes with a potato-masher, moving the colander toward the other end of the dish as the potatoes are pressed trough it, so that they will fall upon the dish in long rows; continue to move the colander from one end of the platter to the other, until all the potatoes are pressed through and laid in even rows upon the dish; then wipe the edges of the dish with a clean towel, set it in the oven for two or three minutes to heat the potatoes , and then serve them. BROWN HASHED POTATOES. Chop a pint of cold boiled potatoes in quarter-inch dice, after peeling them; put four tablespoonfuls of drippings into a frying-pan, and let them get smoking hot; then put in the hashed potatoes , season them with a level teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and stir them over a hot fire until they are nicely browned; then serve them at once. FRIED POTATOES. Have ready over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat; peel half a dozen medium-sized smooth potatoes ; when the fat is smoking hot, slice the potatoes into it, and fry them golden brown; when they are brown, take them from the fat with a skimmer, put them into a colander, dust them with pepper and salt, shake them up, and serve them hot. SARATOGA POTATOES. Saratoga potatoes are peeled, and sliced very thin, and soaked over night, or for several hours, in plenty of cold water; sometimes a small bit of alum is dissolved in the water to harden the potatoes ; before they are fried, they are carefully drained or dried on a towel, and then fried in plenty of smoking-hot fat, a few slices at a time, as directed in the preceding recipe. They are served either hot or cold. JULIENNE POTATOES. Peel potatoes of medium size, cut them in slices, crosswise, with a fluted vegetable knife, like the one shown in the following illustration, and then proceed to cook them like Saratoga potatoes . Serve them hot with beefsteak. FLUTED VEGETABLE KNIFE. The fluted knife shown in the first cut is used for peeling vegetables and fruit, so that the outside seems covered with circular grooves; small potatoes , buttom-mushrooms, and sections of carrots, turnips, and other solid vegetables, are cut with this knife for garnishes. The manner of holding the knife to form the grooves is shown in the second cut. To make grooved slices, the vegetable or fruit is first peeled with the plain part of the knife, and then sliced with the grooved Fluted Vegetable Knife. An illustration of a fluted vegetable knife. Vegetable turned or cut with Fluted Knife. An illustration of two hands using a fluted vegetable knife section. Potatoes cut in this way, and then fried like Saratoga potatoes , are called Julienne potatoes . SWEET POTATOES FRIED WITH PORK. Wash a quart of sweet potatoes; boil them tender in salted boiling water, and peel and slice them about half an inch thick; meantime slice half a pound of fat salt pork, and fry it brown; then fry the potatoes light brown in the drippings, and serve them on the same dish with the pork. BOILED SWEET POTATOES. Wash the potatoes , using those about of a size, so that they may cook evenly; put them over the fire, either in hot or cold salted water, and boil them for about twenty minutes, or until they are tender; then drain and serve them. If sweet potatoes are at all watery, they can be greatly improved by putting them into a very hot oven for five minutes after they are boiled; if they are peeled, put them in a dripping-pan with a little butter, and brown them before serving them. STUFFED SWEET POTATOES. Wash a dozen medium-size sweet potatoes, which should be rather round in shape, and have smooth skins; bake them in a moderate oven until they begin to soften; when the potatoes are ready, take them from the oven, cut a slice from one side of each which will permit the introduction of a teaspoon, and with the spoon scoop out the inside of the potato, taking care not to break the skin. As the potato is withdrawn from the skin, put it into a bowl; and, when all the skins are empty, season the potato rather highly with salt and pepper, mix with it two tablespoonfuls of butter, and replace it in the skins; put on each potato, after it is stuffed, the piece of skin first cut from it, and then return the potatoes to the oven to heat thoroughly. When they are hot, serve them in the skins. The potatoes may be served when they are tender without being stuffed. SWEET POTATO PUDDING. Peel and wash a large sweet potato, wipe it dry on a clean towel, and then grate it on a large grater; while the potato is being grated, heat a quart of milk; stir a cupful of the grated potato into the hot milk, and let it boil; meantime beat four eggs to a cream; add a heaping tablespoonful of butter to the milk and potatoes , and take them off the fire; stir the beaten eggs with the milk and potatoes , season the pudding palatably with salt and pepper, put it into an earthen dish, and bake it for twenty minutes, or until the custard is firm, in a moderate oven; serve it hot as a vegetable. The same pudding may be sweetened, and baked to use for dessert. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES. After washing a quart of artichokes thoroughly in cold water, scrape off the skin, holding them under water to keep them white, and putting them, as fast as they are scraped, into a large bowl of cold water containing a tablespoonful of salt and half a cupful of vinegar. When all the artichokes are scraped, put them over the fire in salted boiling water enough to cover them, and boil them gently until they are tender, but not broken; they will not be mealy like potatoes , but of a dense, waxy texture, and they break easily; when the artichokes are tender, drain them from the water in which they were boiled, and serve them in a cream sauce made as follows: About ten minutes after the artichokes are put over the fire to boil, heat a pint of milk in a milk-boiler, or in a saucepan set in a pan of hot water; meantime, mix together by stirring them over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and, when they are smoothly blended, gradually stir the milk into them; season the sauce rather highly with salt and white pepper; let it boil for two minutes, and then use it with the boiled artichokes. If the sauce is made before the artichokes are done, keep it hot by placing the saucepan containing it in a pan of boiling water. Any other sauce suitable for vegetables may be served with the artichokes; when cold they make a good salad. Cold boiled artichokes may be fried in butter, or scalloped with bread-crumbs and sauce, and browned in the oven. GLOBE ARTICHOKES. The large green artichokes seen occasionally in market and at fruit-stores are the globe artichokes, which were formerly as well-known and cultivated in this country as they are now abroad. The accompanying cuts, copied from an English work, - Cassell's "Dictionary of Cookery," - represent the full head and the section: the line C runs into the Fresh Globe Artichoke. An illustration of a fresh globe artichoke. bottom, or fond ; the line B into the choke, which is removed after the artichoke is blanched, by inserting a small spoon between the leaves from the top of the head; the lower part of which is eaten when they are tender and succulent. Section of Globe Artichoke. An illustration of a section of a globe artichoke. GLOBE ARTICHOKES, BOILED. The accompanying illustration shows a dish of globe artichokes ready for the table. To prepare them, wash them in plenty of cold salted water, and unless they are very fresh let them remain in the water for some time; boil them in enough salted boiling water to cover them until the leaves are tender where they join the fond, or until a leaf can be pulled out easily; then drain the artichokes, trim off the tops of the leaves, as shown in the picture, partly cut the artichokes through the centre, and remove the choke with a teaspoon; work quickly, lest the artichokes become cold, and if they do, heat them in boiling water before serving them. Serve the artichokes with white sauce, Dutch or Hollandaise sauce, or with butter, salt, and pepper. These sauces are sometimes put at each cover in a little cup, and every one pulls the leaves of the artichoke, and dips them in the sauce before eating the succulent end: the fond, or bottom, is also eaten. An excellent sauce is hot butter and lemon-juice, seasoned with salt and pepper; a plain salad-dressing of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, is good with artichokes. Globe Artichokes, boiled. An illustration of globe artichokes, boiled. DUTCH OR HOLLANDAISE SAUCE. Make a pint of white sauce, as directed in the proper recipe; while it is still hot, but not boiling, stir with it the yolks of two raw eggs, three tablespoonfuls of salad-oil, and one of vinegar or lemon-juice, and serve it at once. Some cooks melt three tablespoonfuls of butter in the sauce instead of using the salad-oil. GREEN PEASE, BOILED. Shell a peck of fresh green pease; if the pods are not clean, wash them before shelling, but do not wash the pease. Put the pease into two quarts of boiling water, containing a heaping tablespoonful of salt, and boil them fast for about ten minutes, or until they are tender - no longer; then drain them, season them palatably with salt, pepper, and butter, and serve them at once. A small bunch of green mint may be boiled with green pease which are to be served with lamb. Parsley and young onions are boiled with green pease when their flavor is desired. Sometimes a teaspoonful of sugar is added to green pease in seasoning them. SUGAR PEASE. Wash the pods, string them like string-beans , cut them in pieces about an inch long, and stew them gently with butter, allowing two tablespoonfuls to each quart of pease, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and enough water to prevent burning. They will cook tender in from twenty to thirty minutes. Serve them in their sauce. CANNED PEASE. Open a can of green pease, drain them, wash them in cold water, drain them again; put them in a saucepan with two tablespoonfuls of butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and shake them over the fire until they are hot; then serve them at once. The small French canned pease can be quickly heated in the liquor in which they are preserved; their flavor is much finer than that of any American brand at present marketed. Much discussion has resulted in an attempt on the part of the health-boards of several cities to exclude French canned pease from the American market, because a small quantity of copper enters into their preparation. It is but just to say that during fifteen years these pease have been used by the author, both in her household and school; and in no instance has any bad result ensued, nor has she ever heard of an authentic instance where they have caused any injury to consumers. STRING-BEANS. Wash a quart of very young, tender string-beans , cut them diagonally in small strips, throw them into salted boiling water, and boil them fast for ten minutes, or until they are tender; then drain them, and throw them into cold water; melt over the fire two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, and squeeze the juice of a lemon; when the beans are cold, drain them, put them into the hot butter, and heat them quickly; season them palatably with salt and pepper, add the lemon-juice, and serve them at once. Omit the lemon-juice if the flavor is not desired. CANNED STRING-BEANS. Open a can of beans , drain, and wash them in cold water; if they are quite tender, simply wash them; if they are not, cook them until they are soft in salted boiling water, and then drain them; then add to them two tablespoonfuls of butter, a saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper; heat them, and serve them hot. STEWED BUTTER-BEANS. Remove the strings from a quart of butter-beans , and cut them in inch lengths; put them over the fire with enough boiling water to cover them; add two tablespoonfuls of butter, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and boil the beans for about twenty minutes, or until they are tender; after the beans are placed on the fire, wash and chop fine a handful of parsley-leaves , and four young onions, and add them to the beans; when the beans are tender, mix a tablespoonful each of butter and flour together without heating them, until they form a smooth paste; then stir the paste with the beans; see that they are palatably seasoned, let them boil for two or three minutes, and serve them hot. The parsley and onion can be omitted if their flavor is not desired. LIMA BEANS. Put a quart of shelled Lima beans over the fire, in sufficient boiling water to cover them, with a tablespoonful of salt, and boil them for about twenty minutes, or until they are tender; then drain them; add to them enough milk to cover them, a tablespoonful of butter, and a palatable seasoning of salt and white pepper; heat them quickly, and serve them hot. Lima beans may be simply boiled until tender in salted boiling water, then drained, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter, and served at once. Cold Lima beans can be fried in butter, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; or mashed and made into little cakes, with an egg and salt and pepper, and then browned in butter. STEWED KIDNEY-BEANS. Pick over and wash a pint of dried red kidney-beans , put them over the fire in a quart of cold water, and heat them gradually. When the beans begin to boil, pour half a cupful of cold water over them to check the boiling. Every fifteen minutes put in half a cupful of cold water, and cook the beans gently until they are just tender. When the beans are tender, drain them, add to them two tablespoonfuls of butter, half a level teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper; heat them, and serve them hot. The beans may be soaked over night if there is time, and if so prepared will cook in about an hour. An excellent addition to stewed kidney-beans is a small onion, peeled, chopped fine, and fried yellow in the butter used for seasoning the beans. DRIED WHITE BEANS. Dried white beans are good cooked in the same way. The cold beans are excellent if fried with salt, pepper, and butter, either with or without chopped parsley or onion. GREEN CORN BOILED. Choose short, thick ears of fresh green corn; remove all the husk except the inner layer; strip that down to remove all the silk from the corn and to permit the cutting away of any defective grains, and then replace it, and tie it at the upper end of each ear of corn. Have ready a large pot half full of actually boiling water; put the corn into it, and boil it steadily for about twenty minutes if the ears are large, or fifteen if they are of medium size; then take it from the boiling water, remove the strings, and serve it hot at once. If it seems desirable to strip off the inner husk before sending it to the table, this must be done very quickly, and the corn covered with a clean napkin to prevent the escape of the heat. Serve with the corn plenty of sweet butter, pepper, and salt. Sometimes the butter, pepper, and salt are mixed by heating them together, and then served in a hot gravy-bowl. The fresher the corn is, the sweeter it is; it seems to lose its most delicate flavor after it has been gathered a few hours. HOW TO WARM COLD CORN. Cold boiled corn cut from the ear, and mixed with an equal quantity of cold potatoes chopped, can be fried with salt, pepper, and butter; or heated with cold stewed tomatoes, and served on toast. GREEN CORN ROASTED. Husk a dozen ears of corn, and remove the silk; rub them with butter, season them with pepper and salt; lay them in a dripping-pan, and prop it up as close as possible to a clear hot fire; occasionally turn the ears, and change their position in the pan, so that all may cook evenly; when they are browned, serve them hot at once. Or, prepare the corn as directed above, and then brown it in a very hot oven. GREEN CORN STEWED. Remove the husks and silk from a dozen ears of fresh green corn; cut downward through the centre of each row of grains, and then scrape them out of the skin with the back of a knife; when all are cut, put the corn into a sauce-pan, just cover it with boiling water, and boil it for twenty minutes. Mix to a smooth paste a tablespoonful each of butter and flour; and when the corn has boiled for twenty minutes, add the butter and flour to it, together with half a pint of milk and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; let it boil again for three minutes, and then serve it. When cream is abundant, it may be used instead of the thickened milk. GREEN CORN PUDDING. Grate six large ears of green corn; mix with the grated corn one heaping teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful each of pepper and grated nutmeg, six eggs, and a pint and a half of milk; put the pudding in a buttered earthen dish, and bake it in a moderate oven for half an hour. GREEN CORN GRIDDLE CAKES AND FRITTERS. Grate enough green corn to fill a pint measure; add to it one gill of milk, the yolks of two eggs not beaten, a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and flour enough to form a medium stiff batter, about half a cupful; beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, mix them lightly with the batter, and bake the griddle-cakes on a griddle or a frying-pan, using just enough fat to prevent burning. The same batter may be dropped by the tablespoonful into a kettle of smoking-hot fat, and fried golden brown; take the fritters thus made out of the fat with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from fat, and then serve them hot. SUCCOTASH. Use a quart each of corn cut from the cob, and shelled Lima beans ; put them over the fire in just enough boiling water to cover them, with two teaspoonfuls of salt and half a saltspoonful of pepper, and boil them from twenty to thirty minutes, until the beans are tender; meantime rub to a smooth paste two tablespoonfuls of butter and one of flour, and when the beans are nearly done stir this paste into the succotash, see that it is palatably seasoned, and finish cooking it. The flour may be omitted if a thick sauce is not desired. Sometimes a piece of salt pork is boiled with the succotash, and sent on a platter to the table when the succotash is served. In place of the flour or salt pork, two eggs beaten smoothly with a cupful of milk may be added to the succotash just before serving it; but it must not be allowed to boil again, or the eggs may harden. HOW TO CAN CORN. Choose very full ears of tender corn; remove the husk and silk, cut the corn from the cob, and scrape the cob with the back of the knife; pack glass jars with the corn, making them quite full, pressing the corn down, and then close them with the rubber and procelain-lined covers; put some laths across the bottom of a large boiler, and fill it with the jars of corn, laying a little straw or hay between the jars to keep them from striking against each other when they begin to boil; pour in enough cold water to half cover the jars, put the boiler over the fire, put a cloth over it, and fit on the cover of the boiler, and boil the corn steadily for three hours, taking care that there is water enough to furnish a full volume of steam; then take up the jars, and screw the covers as tight as possible. When the jars are cold, again screw the covers, and keep the corn in a cool, dark place. DRIED CORN. Cut the grains from ears of tender corn, spread them on large sheets of paper in the sun, and dry them thoroughly; or put them on pans in a cool oven, and dry them. After the corn is dried, keep it in a cool, dry place. When it is wanted for the table, soak it over night in enough water or milk to cover it, and the next day boil it tender in the same water; season it with salt, pepper, and butter, and serve it hot. CANNED CORN, STEWED. Put the corn into a saucepan together with the liquor in which it is preserved, and cook it over a moderate fire until it is tender; when the corn is tender, drain the liquor from it, and mix with the liquor enough milk to make up a pint; mix together over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour until they bubble, then gradually stir into them the milk and liquid from the corn, add the corn also, and let it boil once; season it palatably with salt and pepper, and serve it hot. DRIED CORN HULLED WITH LYE. Put a pint of clear wood-ashes in two quarts of cold water over the fire, and boil them for fifteen minutes; then let the lye cool until the ashes settle at the bottom of the kettle, when the clear liquid is to be poured off and strained. Use enough of the lye thus made, mixed with an equal quantity of cold water, to cover the dried corn; put the corn and lye-water over the fire, and boil them until the hulls begin to break off the corn; then drain the corn, throw it into cold water, and rub it between the hands, through several waters, until the hulls are all removed; it will then be ready to cook as samp. DRIED CORN HULLED WITH SALERATUS. Cover two quarts of dried corn with cold water, add a tablespoonful of saleratus, and boil the corn until the hulls crack and begin to curl up; then wash the corn three or four times in cold water, rubbing it between the hands to free it from the husks or hulls; after all the hulls are removed, boil the corn in salted boiling water, or milk and water, until it is tender; then season it palatably with pepper and butter, and serve it as a vegetable; or use it with milk or cream and sugar for breakfast or supper. The cold boiled samp is excellent fried with butter or heated in milk. STEWED HOMINY. Wash a cupful of hominy, put it over the fire in two quarts of cold water, and slowly heat and boil it gently for about four hours, or until it is quite soft; then drain it, and place it where the water will evaporate while a cream gravy is being made as follows: Put over the fire two tablespoonfuls of butter, and partly melt them; when the butter is quite soft, gradually stir with it half a pint of cream or an equal quantity of milk; if the cream is used, add it to the hominy as soon as it is hot; if milk is used, take it off the fire when it is hot, stir with it the yolks of two raw eggs, and mix it with the hominy; serve the hominy directly the milk or cream is added to it, remembering that the eggs used with the milk will curdle if the hominy is allowed to boil after they are added to it. SUCCOTASH FROM DRIED SAMP AND BEANS. Use for this dish dried samp and dried Lima beans . Soak the samp and beans over night in cold water, in separate bowls. In the morning boil the samp as directed in the recipe for stewed hominy; put an equal quantity of the beans over the fire in fresh cold water, in another saucepan, and let them boil gently until they are tender, but not at all broken; then place a saucepan containing them where they will keep hot, without boiling, until the samp is done. When both samp and beans are tender, drain them nearly dry, put them together over the fire, season them palatably with salt and pepper, add a heaping teaspoonful of butter to each quart of succotash, and heat it; serve the succotash hot. SUCCOTASH OF DRIED CORN AND BEANS. Pick over a pint each of dried sweet corn and small white dried beans , and soak them over night in separate bowls of water, putting the water upon the vegetables while it is warm; the next morning wash a pound of salt pork in cold water, put it over the fire in two quarts of cold water, with the beans , and boil it slowly for an hour; then add the corn, and continue the boiling until both vegetables are tender; when the vegetables are tender, take out the pork to serve with the succotash, and put it on a separate dish; drain off nearly all the water from the vegetables; add a tablespoonful each of butter and sugar, milk enough to cover them, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; heat the succotash, and then serve it with the pork. OYSTER-PLANT WITH CREAM. Scrape a bunch of tender oyster-plant , putting the roots, as they are scraped, in cold water to which a little vinegar has been added; cut the oyster-plant in pieces, put it over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil it for about twenty minutes, or until it is tender; then drain it; add a tablespoonful of butter, cream enough to cover it, and a palatable seasoning of salt and white pepper. Serve it as soon as the cream is hot. The cream may be omitted if desired. After oyster-plant has been boiled, it can be mashed through a colander, with a palatable seasoning of salt, pepper, and butter, and heated and served; or mashed and made into little cakes, and browned in butter; or scalloped, with the addition of bread-crumbs and seasoning, and browned in a hot oven. SEA-KALE. The stalk of sea-kale, when cooked, is somewhat like asparagus; the growing plant has thick stalks and large leaves, like pie-plant, which take on a purplish-green color when exposed to sun and air. Like celery and pie-plant, sea-kale must be blanched while growing, or the taste will be bitter; and it must be kept in a dark place after it is cut. The kale grows in roots with stalks attached, like celery. To prepare it for cooking, the roots and large leaves must be trimmed off, the plants thoroughly washed in cold salted water, and then tied up like asparagus. The young shoots are the best, but the stalks or midribs of the leaves are good if they are white and crisp. When the stalks are tied up, put them into salted boiling water, and boil them until they are tender, which will be in about twenty minutes, if the kale is good; then drain them, and dress them with salt, pepper, butter, and a little lemon-juice, and serve them hot or serve the kale on toast, like asparagus. Any sauce suitable for asparagus will be excellent for sea-kale. ASPARAGUS. If fresh asparagus is used, wash it, and scrape the stalks, and, as far as they are tender, cut them into inch pieces; boil them until tender in salted boiling water; then drain them, and throw them into cold water; if canned asparagus is used, simply drain it, and pour boiling water over it; about ten minutes before dinner-time, drain the asparagus from the boiling water, put it into a saucepan with sufficient sweet cream to cover it, season it palatably with salt and white pepper, heat it, and serve it at once on delicate slices of toast. Or, heat the asparagus with salt, pepper, and butter, after it is boiled. ASPARAGUS WITH DUTCH SAUCE. After washing asparagus, scrape off the woody portion of the stalks, or cut it off entirely, and tie the asparagus in small bunches; put it over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil it until it is tender; then drain it, and serve it on a napkin, or on toast, sending a dish of white or Dutch sauce, or melted butter, to the table with it. The toast served under asparagus is designed to absorb the water from it. To make Dutch or Hollandaise sauce, put over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they bubble, then gradually stir in a pint of boiling water; when the sauce boils, season it palatably with salt and white pepper, and draw the saucepan to the side of the fire where the sauce cannot boil; then stir in three tablespoonfuls of oil, drop by drop, or two tablespoonfuls of butter, one tablespoonful of vinegar or lemon-juice, and finally the yolks of two raw eggs; serve the sauce as soon as the eggs are added, because it will be apt to curdle if it stands until the eggs are cooked. Boiled asparagus, served either hot or cold, with mayonnaise, is delicious. SUGAR BEETS BOILED. Carefully wash the beets, without closely trimming the leaves or roots or breaking the skin; put them over the fire in a large pot half full of boiling water, and boil them until they are tender, which will be in about three-quarters of an hour if they are small, an hour if of medium size, and longer if they are large; all new beets will usually cook in about two hours' time, even if quite large. When the beets are done, rub off their skins with a wet towel, slice them, dress them with salt, pepper, and butter, and serve them at once. Vinegar may be added to them at discretion; and they may be allowed to stand in it long enough to become saturated with it, then being used hot or cold. Red beets may be cooked in the same way. After beets are boiled, they can be cut in dice, and heated in white sauce; or scalloped with white sauce and bread-crumbs, and browned in the oven; or covered with cold vinegar and pickled. NEW TURNIPS. Peel and slice a quart of new turnips; boil them in salted boiling water until they can be mashed; then drain and mash them, season them with salt, pepper, and plenty of butter, and then stir them over the fire constantly until all the water has evaporated, and serve them. Instead of mashing the boiled turnips, they can be cut in dice and heated in white sauce, or milk, or simply with salt, pepper, and butter. Cold boiled turnips, mixed with an equal quantity of cold potatoes , seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter, and fried, make a good vegetable for luncheon. CARROTS. Boil two large carrots until tender in salted boiling water, after having washed and scraped them; when they are just tender, cut them in half-inch squares, or in fancy shapes with a vegetable-scoop, several of which are shown in the engravings given elsewhere; put over the fire in a saucepan one tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they bubble, then gradually stir with them a pint of boiling milk, and let the sauce thus made boil once; season it with a level teaspoonful of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and a very little grated nutmeg; heat the carrots in this sauce, and serve them. Boiled carrots can be heated with salt, pepper, and butter; or with some chopped parsley; or with white sauce containing the yolk of a raw egg, care being taken not to boil the egg. Cold boiled carrots are good if fried in butter. MUSHROOMS. Many persons who like this excellent fungus are afraid to eat it because accidents have occurred from its use; but care will guard against such danger, both with fresh and canned mushrooms. There is no danger to be apprehended in using the canned mushrooms, if, when the can is opened, the mushrooms look clean and perfect, of a light buff color, without any dark or defective spots; the liquid in the can should be clear, that is, not thick, and slightly colored by the mushrooms. The interior of the cans should be bright and clean, not dark or rusted; if there is the slightest appearance of discoloration or verdigris on the inside of the can, or near any joint in the tin in the can, the mushrooms contained in it might prove injurious. So far as the mushrooms themselves are concerned, it is almost an impossibility for a poisonous one to be present in a can, because they are raised in so-called mushroom caves or cellars, from seed or rather spawn, which is prepared from exhausted mushroom beds: under these circumstances, it is almost impossible even for a poisonous mushroom to spring in a bed; but if it did, its color, size, and general appearance would indicate its character, and it would at once be destroyed. The growers of mushrooms exercise a great care in the cultivation of the vegetable and in its preparation for the market. The few instances known of poisoning from the use of canned mushrooms have been traced to carelessness in their preparation; the cooking having been done in unclean utensils, or in copper vessels from which the tin lining is worn, or the cooked mushrooms have been allowed to stand over night in a metal vessel. The fresh mushrooms which are brought to city markets are generally raised in mushroom beds, by professional gardeners, who are perfectly conversant with all the characteristics of the vegetable; and so there is but little danger possible in using them. The fresh mushrooms sold during the summer and early fall in the markets are usually gathered in the fields and pastures by persons who know the varieties of fungi, and who discard all except the agaricus campestris, or field mushroom. The fungi grow in form of a pileus or cap, upon a short, stout stem, covered with a thin epidermis, and generally divided beneath into radiated gills, which are the seed-bearing organs. Form and appearance safely indicate the innocuous or harmful qualities of the mushrooms, but the test of tasting may be applied if one need be exercised. If a small part of the cap, eaten with a little salt, does not cause a burning or stinging sensation in the throat or stomach, and if the taste is pleasant and agreeable, the variety may be used. If this test shows the presence of a poisonous matter, by the burning sensation, the peril can be averted by a free use of common salt, followed by emetics and castor-oil. It should be remembered, that a perfectly good fungus, which is in excellent eating order when gathered, may decay and become unfit for food in a few hours; and therefore all species should be eaten or preserved when fresh. The most familiar of all the edible fungi is the agaric. With the best-known variety, the agaricus campestris (the true meadow mushroom, or pink-gill), every lover of good dinners is acquainted, as this is the champignon cultivated extensively in Europe, and imported largely into this country in cans. It is often met with in our own markets. Its color is white, its gills pink when fresh, gradually turning brown after gathering. Its cap, from three to six inches in diameter, is plump and white, or cream-color, covered with a fine down; and its flesh is firm and white, with a pinkish tinge. The stem bears a well-defined white ring, which disappears as the mushroom dries. In bright, open, sunny pastures, the mushrooms disappear after the sun is high, and searchers for them seek their evanescent treasures early in the day: in more shaded localities, where there is much moisture, they sometimes grow until nightfall. In the mushroom caves and in the gardeners' hotbeds, where they are sheltered from the direct rays and heat of the sun, they seem to last longer, and to attain a larger growth; but their flavor is less intense than that of the outdoor mushroom : there is almost as much difference in the flavor of cultivated and field-grown mushrooms as there is between the flavor of poultry and game-birds . However, during an experiment made in raising mushrooms in the cellar of a New-York house, specimens from two to six inches diameter in the cap, firm in texture, and of full, high flavor, were raised, some of them growing in the beds for two or three days: it may be mentioned here, that from one spot about the size of a man's hand, in the angle of the wall, a group was gathered which weighed a pound and a half. At first the mushroom appears as a tiny white knob, close to the ground; it quickly grows, the cap frequently being expanded in the morning and the decay complete by night, out of doors; the little white knob expands until the under side gradually opens, permitting the fringe-like gills to appear; as the cap breaks away from the stem, it leaves the rough ring where it joined the stem, and this gradually dries up. The gills are of a delicate pink, a sort of salmon-color ; as the mushroom grows, the color of the gills deepens gradually through the shades of brown, and finally, when the mushroom is a day old, becomes quite black, and, as gradually, the substance of the mushroom loses its first crisp, fleshy consistence, and becomes withered and fibrous; under favorable conditions of quick, dry, artificial heat, it slowly dries, ordinarily it decays. The flavor of the meadow mushroom is sweet and nutty, while that of poisonous varieties is sharp and acrid. The poisonous mushrooms have not the characteristic pink gills of the harmless sort. A favorite popular test is to cook with the mushrooms a white onion peeled, or a silver spoon, and, if either turns black, to avoid the mushrooms as poisonous. Meadow Mushroom with Gills and Spores. An illustration of two large meadow mushrooms. The accompanying picture shows the meadow mushroom, or pink-gill, in its stages of growth from the tiny seed or spore, which is concealed among the gills, to the full-grown cap. FRESH MUSHROOMS BROILED. Wash the mushrooms in plenty of cold salted water, trimming off all defective or bruised portions; cut off the roots, and if there are plenty of mushrooms, separate the stems and caps, saving the latter to stew or fry; lay the caps on a dripping-pan or baking-sheet set on top of the stove, with the gills uppermost; put a small piece of butter, a little pepper and salt, in each cap, and let them stay over the fire until the butter melts; then serve them on toast. FRESH MUSHROOMS BAKED. Carefully cleanse the mushrooms as directed in the recipe for broiled mushrooms; cut as many slices of bread as there are mushroom caps, trimming off the crusts, and having each slice about two inches square; lay them in a baking-pan; spread each slice of bread with butter, put on each one a little pepper and salt; on each slice of bread put one or more mushroom caps, enough to cover the bread; put the pan in a hot oven for five minutes, then season the mushrooms with salt and pepper; put a piece of butter as large as a hazel-nut on the mushrooms contained on each slice of bread; return the pan to the oven, and finish baking the mushrooms, which are to be served on the bread as soon as they are tender. Fresh mushrooms may be breaded and fried. MUSHROOM STEMS STEWED. Use the stems of the mushrooms when the caps have been already cooked; cut them in rather small pieces; put them over the fire with a heaping tablespoonful of butter to a pint of stems, together with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and stew them gently until they are tender; have ready delicate toast, and serve the mushrooms on it. Or, mince them, and scallop them with an equal quantity of bread-crumbs, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and brown them in a hot oven. TO DRY FRESH MUSHROOMS. After carefully cleansing the mushrooms by washing them in plenty of cold salted water, and trimming off the defective portions, spread them on sheets of stout paper laid in dripping-pans; set the pans in the sun, or in a cool oven, and gradually dry them until all the moisture is evaporated from them. After the mushrooms are dried, thoroughly pack them in a tin can with a tight cover, and keep them in a cool, dry place. MUSHROOM POWDER. Wash three or four quarts of fresh mushrooms, carefully trim away all defective parts, and put them into a saucepan without water, together with two large onions peeled, a level teaspoonful each of whole cloves and peppercorns, two blades of mace, and two saltspoonfuls of pepper; heat the mushrooms, and slowly simmer them until they absorb all the liquid they yield; be very careful not to allow them to burn; and when they are stewed nearly dry, spread them on pans, and put them in a moderate oven to dry; when they are quite dry, beat or grind them to a powder. Put up the powder in tin cans or tightly corked bottles, so that all air is excluded, and keep them in a cool, dry place. A teaspoonful of mushroom powder flavors a pint of sauce; the flavor of mushrooms resembles that of meat. CANNED MUSHROOMS, WITH CREAM SAUCE. After opening the can, carefully drain the liquor or essence from the mushrooms, saving it to add to the sauce; put in a saucepan over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they are smoothly blended, then gradually stir in the mushroom essence or liquor from the can, and then add sufficient cream to make a sauce of the consistency of gravy; put the mushrooms into this sauce, season them palatably with salt and pepper, and when they are hot, serve them as a vegetable. Toast may be served under them if it is desirable to increase the size of the dish. MORELS. Morels are a variety of mushroom frequently found under the trees upon old lawns, and in rather open woods. The accompanying engraving shows the appearance of fresh morels; when dried, they look very much like a piece of brown sponge; the color of fresh morels is pale buff, and of dried ones brown; the height is from three to five inches; as no poisonous fungus resembles them, they may be eaten Morel and Spore. An illustration of morel and spore. with safety. After carefully washing the morels, and trimming off the roots, cook them according to any of the recipes given for cooking mushrooms. STUFFED MORELS. After cleansing the morels, cut them at the bottom far enough to admit a forcemeat of cold chopped meat and bread, highly seasoned, or of partly cooked sausage-meat; close them with a sliver of wood or a small metal skewer; lay them on small slices of bread, and place them in a moderate oven to bake for about ten minutes, or until tender; serve them on the toast, very hot. MUSHROOM BROWN SAUCE. For a can of mushrooms, put into a saucepan a heaping tablespoonful each of butter and flour; stir them together over the fire until they begin to brown, then gradually stir in the liquor from the can, adding water if any is needed to make the sauce of the proper consistency; add the mushrooms, season the sauce palatably with salt, pepper, and very little grated nutmeg; when the mushrooms are hot, stir in a wineglassful of sherry or Madeira, and serve the mushrooms as a vegetable. Toast may be served under them to increase the size of the dish; or the sauce and mushrooms may be poured on a dish with broiled beefsteak or broiled chicken, or with a baked or roasted tenderloin of beef. FRIED CUCUMBERS ON TOAST. Peel two cucumbers, and slice them lengthwise about an eighth of an inch thick; put over the fire in a large frying-pan two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, and when it browns put in the cucumbers, and fry them brown; while they are being fried, make as many slices of toast as there are pieces of cucumber, butter them, and keep them hot; when the cucumbers are done, serve them on the toast, very hot. CUCUMBERS STUFFED WITH MARROW. Peel half a dozen large cucumbers, split them lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon; with the seeds and their surrounding pulp, mix an equal quantity each of bread-crumbs and chopped marrow, and a high seasoning of salt and pepper; stuff the cucumbers with this forcemeat, laying the halves together, and securing them in place by running small wooden skewers entirely through them; put the stuffed cucumbers into an earthen dish just large enough to hold them, pour over them sufficient meat-gravy to cover them, and bake them in a moderate oven for half an hour, or until they are tender; then remove the skewers, and serve the cucumbers hot. If there is no gravy on hand, make some as follows:- Put one tablespoonful each of butter and flour in a saucepan, and stir them over the fire until they are light brown; then gradually stir in a pint of boiling water, season the gravy palatably with salt and pepper, let it boil for a minute, and then use it. EGG-PLANT FRIED IN BUTTER. Peel and slice the egg-plant , let it lie in salt for an hour, and then roll the slices in dry flour seasoned with salt and pepper; put a large pan over the fire with enough butter to cover the bottom to the depth of half an inch thick when melted; when the butter is smoking hot, put in the egg-plant, fry it brown on both sides, and serve it hot. EGG-PLANT FRIED IN BATTER. Peel, slice, and salt the egg-plant as directed in the recipe for egg-plant fried in butter; also have ready the frying-kettle half full of hot fat; mix together in a large bowl four tablespoonfuls of salt, a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, the yolk of a raw egg, and a tablespoonful of salad-oil or melted butter; in another bowl beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth; when ready to fry the egg-plant , put the white of the egg into the batter, dry the slices of egg-plant on a clean cloth, dip them in the batter, and fry them brown in the hot fat; when they are done, put them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, and then serve them hot. SCALLOPED EGG-PLANT. Peel an egg-plant of medium size, slice it quarter of an inch thick, sprinkle each slice with salt, lay them in a deep bowl, and let them stand in a cool place for an hour. Soak a pint-bowl full of stale bread in cold water. Fry the egg-plant in a large frying-pan containing smoking-hot fat half an inch deep; when one side is brown, turn the slices, and brown the other side; when each slice is brown, remove it from the frying-pan with a skimmer, and lay it on a dish. When all the egg -plant is fried, put four tomatoes, peeled and sliced, into the same frying-pan, adding two tablespoonfuls of fat if there is not that quantity in the pan, and fry them for five minutes; then squeeze the bread in a colander to remove any excess of water, add it to the tomatoes, season the mixture highly with salt and pepper, using also a little cayenne-pepper, and stir it over the fire until it is scalding hot. If fresh tomatoes are not at hand, tomato-sauce or canned tomatoes can be used. When the bread and tomatoes are scalding hot, put them into a baking-dish in layers with the fried egg-plant , dust some bread-crumbs or cracker-dust over the top, season them with salt and pepper, put over them in small pieces about a tablespoonful of butter, and set the dish in a very hot oven until the crumbs are brown; then serve it hot. Cold fried egg-plant can be used for this dish. BAKED EGG-PLANT. Cut a medium-sized egg-plant in halves, score it deeply on both sides, and rub plenty of salt and pepper into the cuts; put it into a pan with a heaping tablespoonful of butter spread over it, and bake it until it is tender; serve it with the gravy it yields poured over it. Or, after cutting the egg-plant, scoop out most of the interior, mince it fine, add an equal quantity of bread-crumbs to it, season it highly with salt, pepper, and butter, and put the mixture again into the rind, heaping each half; set the halves of the egg-plant in an earthen dish which can be sent to the table, and bake it until it is tender, then serve it hot. BOILED CABBAGE. Wash a medium-sized head of cabbage in plenty of salted cold water, and trim away the woody part of the stalk; have ready over the fire a very large pot containing five or six quarts of salted boiling water; put the cabbage into this boiling water, place the pot over the hottest part of the fire, and bring its contents to the boiling-point as fast as possible. Leave the pot uncovered, and every two or three minutes press the cabbage under the boiling water with a wooden spoon. Do not let the cabbage stop boiling for one instant; boil it steadily and rapidly for ten minutes; then try one of the thickest stalks with a sharp knife; if it is tender, - just tender, without being at all watery, - drain the cabbage at once; if it is not quite tender, let it boil a few minutes longer, but only until it is tender, and then drain it; serve it hot at once, with a palatable seasoning of salt, pepper, and butter. Or have ready a pint of white sauce, for which directions are given elsewhere; pour it over the cabbage after it is drained, and serve it hot at once. FRIED CABBAGE. Chop cold boiled cabbage, press out all the moisture, add half a cupful of cream to a quart-bowl full of cabbage, and season it with salt and pepper; put two tablespoonfuls of butter in a frying-pan over the fire, let it get smoking hot, put in the cabbage, and brown it quickly on the under side; as soon as the cabbage is browned, turn it upside down on a hot dish, and serve it. RED CABBAGE, STEWED. Thoroughly wash a head of red cabbage, cut the leaves apart, and trim off any hard, fibrous portion of the stalk; peel and slice one onion, put it over the fire in a saucepan with a tablespoonful of butter, a cupful of cold gravy, half a saltspoonful of pepper, and two teaspoonfuls of salt; next put in the cabbage, pour four tablespoonfuls of vinegar over it, cover the saucepan closely, and cook the cabbage gently for an hour or longer, until it is tender, stirring it occasionally. Serve it hot. SAUERKRAUT. Trim off the defective and tough outer leaves of white cabbage, wash it thoroughly in cold salted water, and shave it rather fine on a cabbage-cutter, rejecting the tough stalks; to each peck of cabbage, allow a pint of fine salt; wash the outer green leaves of the cabbage in cold salted water, and use them to line a wooden tub or firkin; put the cabbage into the firkin in layers with the salt, beating the layers of cabbage with a potato-masher until all of it is tightly packed down; put a board over the cabbage with a heavy stone on it, and let it stand for at least six weeks, when it will be ready to use. To prepare the sauerkraut for boiling, soak it in plenty of cold water until it is only palatably salty; put the sauerkraut over the fire in boiling water, or in the same pot in which bacon, pickled pork, or smoked sausage is boiling, and boil it until it is tender; to serve the sauerkraut, drain it, put it on a dish, lay the meat on it, and serve them together. When the sauerkraut is cooked without meat, it is simply served as a vegetable. Cold sauerkraut may be chopped and fried in butter, or heated with a white sauce or gravy. CAULIFLOWER. Trim off the leaves of a firm head of cauliflower, and wash it thoroughly in plenty of cold water in which a handful of salt has been dissolved; if any insects are visible between the branches of the cauliflower, let it soak in the salted water, with the flowerets down, for an hour; the salt will kill the insects, and they will fall down into the water. About three-quarters of an hour before dinner-time, put two tablespoonfuls of butter, a level teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper into a perfectly clean saucepan large enough to hold the cauliflower; take it from the water, and put it at once into the saucepan without draining it; cover it closely, set it over a gentle fire, and let it simmer and steam until tender, which will be in about half an hour. Then, without breaking it, take it up on a hot dish; let the butter and water in which it was cooked boil very fast for a minute, and then pour it over the cauliflower, and serve it. If a thick sauce is liked, mix a teaspoonful of flour or corn-starch, dissolved in half a cupful of cold water, with the butter and water, boil it for two minutes, stirring it constantly, and then serve it with the cauliflower. Cauliflower, after it is carefully washed, may be boiled until tender, and then drained, and served with white sauce; or covered with sauce and bread-crumbs, and browned in a hot oven; or, when the heads are small and defective, either boiled and served in branches, instead of entire, or mashed through a colander, and heated with salt, pepper, and butter. Cold boiled cauliflower is very good fried plain in butter, or breaded in branches and fried; or mashed and fried like oyster-plant , with the addition of an egg, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper. SPINACH Trim off the roots and tough stalks of half a peck of spinach, wash it in plenty of cold salted water until it is quite free from sand, put it over the fire in salted boiling water enough to cover it, and boil it fast for three minutes or longer, until it is just tender; do not allow it to become soft and watery; drain the spinach, throw it into a large pan of cold water until it is cool, then chop it very fine, or rub it through a colander with a potato-masher; put it again over the fire to heat, with a palatable seasoning of butter, salt, and pepper; while the spinach is being heated, poach half a dozen eggs soft, and when it is dished lay them upon it, and serve the dish hot. The spinach may be served without the eggs. Boiled spinach is good dressed with white sauce or gravy, or fried with butter, either with or without the addition of a very little grated onion. BOILED TURNIP-TOPS. Thoroughly wash a peck of turnip-tops , put them over the fire in plenty of salted boiling water, and boil them fast for ten minutes, or until they are just tender; then drain them, season them with salt, pepper, and butter, and serve them hot. BOILED CELERY. Carefully wash half a dozen heads of celery without breaking them apart, trim off the roots and green stalks, as shown in the annexed cut; boil the celery in salted boiling water until it is just tender, but not until it begins to break, and then drain it, and serve it with any sauce preferred. Celery Trimmed for Boiling. An illustration of celery trimmed for boiling. Boiled Celery. An illustration of boiled celery on a plate. The celery is dished on toast, like asparagus, or served with the sauce poured over it, as shown in the accompanying picture. BUTTER AND LEMON SAUCE. Butter and lemon sauce, made as follows, is good with boiled celery : Melt four tablespoonfuls of butter by very gentle heat; squeeze the juice of two lemons, and take away the seeds; break two eggs, separating the yolks from the whites. When the butter is melted, add it gradually to the egg-yolks, and stir them together over the fire until they begin to thicken; take the sauce from the fire directly it begins to thicken, and stir in the lemon-juice, together with a level saltspoonful of salt and a dust of cayenne-pepper; serve the sauce as soon as it is made. CELERY WITH REMOULADE SAUCE. The white stalks of celery are to be carefully trimmed, washed in cold salted water, cut in inch lengths, and served with a remoulade sauce. GERMAN REMOULADE SAUCE. To make remoulade sauce, peel and grate a medium-sized white onion; rub the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs through a sieve with a potato-masher, add to them a level teaspoonful of dry mustard, a level tablespoonful of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of oil, the grated onion, four tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and a palatable seasoning of salt and cayenne. Mix all these ingredients smoothly, and use them with the celery. GREEN REMOULADE SAUCE. Use any or all the following green herbs if they can be obtained: tarragon, chervil, or curled parsley, parsley, burnet, chives, or young green onions, a handful of each; after washing them in cold water, put them in salted boiling water, and boil them for two minutes, then drain them, put them into cold water for a moment, again drain them, and rub them through a sieve with a potato-masher; mix them with the yolks of four hard-boiled eggs rubbed through a sieve, a tablespoonful of vinegar, three of salad-oil, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper; after the sauce is made, keep it very cold until it is served. CELERY FRITTERS. Cut half a dozen white stalks of celery about two inches long; boil them until tender in boiling water and salt, dip them in the following batter, and then fry them a golden brown in smoking-hot fat. To make the batter, mix together smoothly the yolk of a raw egg, a tablespoonful of salad-oil, a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg, a quarter of a pound of flour, and enough cold water to make a batter stiff enough to hold the drops from a spoon; just before using the batter, stir into it the white of the egg beaten to a stiff froth. Fry the fritters just before they are required for use, laying them on brown paper for a moment after taking them from the hot fat, in order to free them from the grease, and sprinkling them lightly with salt. FRIED PARSLEY. Choose full stalks of parsley, carefully remove all imperfect or decayed leaves, wash it well in plenty of salted cold water, and spread it on a clean towel to dry. When it is quite free from water, gather the stalks in the right hand, and quickly dip the leaves into smoking-hot fat for a moment to crisp them. If the parsley is put into the fat with any moisture on it, a cloud of steam will arise, and there will be great danger of burning the hand seriously; but if it is carefully dried the operation can be performed with perfect safety. Fried parsley is used as a garnish for fritters, croquettes, or any fried dish. OKRA. Cut the stems from a quart of young okra, wash the pods in cold water, put them over the fire in enough salted boiling water to cover them, and boil them for twenty minutes, or longer, until tender; then drain them, add to them two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, a high seasoning of salt and pepper, and heat them thoroughly; after the okra is hot, serve as a vegetable. Tomatoes and corn, or Lima beans , are frequently stewed with okra; the seasoning being salt, pepper, and butter. Fried or broiled ham is often served with okra, as is also fried chicken. GREEN PEPPERS, STUFFED AND BAKED. Wash half a dozen large green peppers, put them into boiling water, and boil them for five minutes; then take them from the water, and rub off the skins with a wet cloth; cut off the stem ends, remove the seeds with a small spoon, and stuff the peppers with any kind of cold meat minced fine, mixed with an equal quantity of stale bread softened with cold water, and seasoned with salt; replace the stems, set the peppers in a deep earthen plate or dish, pour in as much cold gravy as the dish will hold, and bake the peppers in a moderate oven for half an hour. They may be stuffed with sausage-meat and bread. Serve them in the dish in which they were baked. Cheese is grated and mixed with bread-crumbs for stuffing peppers; and they are subsequently fried instead of being baked. STUFFED TOMATOES. Fry a quarter of a pound of sausages or sausage-meat; wash a dozen ripe, firm tomatoes of medium size; cut a small slice from the stem end of each one, and scoop out the interior with a teaspoon; chop this part of the tomatoes fine, mix it thoroughly with the fried sausage, season the force-meat thus made highly with salt and pepper, and then use it to stuff the tomatoes; set the stuffed tomatoes in a dripping-pan just large enough to hold them, dust cracker or bread crumbs over the tops, put a very small bit of butter on each one, and then bake them for half an hour in a hot oven; remove them from the dripping-pan to a hot platter, without breaking them, and serve them hot, with a gravy made as follows: After dishing the tomatoes, set the dripping-pan in which they were baked over the fire, stir into it a tablespoonful of dry flour, and let it brown; then stir in a pint of boiling water; season the gravy highly with salt and pepper, let it boil for a minute, and then serve it with the stuffed tomatoes. FRIED TOMATOES WITH BROWN GRAVY. Choose very firm, ripe tomatoes; wipe them with a wet cloth, slice them half an inch thick, and cover them with flour seasoned with salt and pepper; put a dripping-pan over the fire with enough lard to be half an inch deep when melted, and let it get smoking hot; when the fat is hot, put into it as many tomatoes as will lie flat in the pan, and quickly brown them on both sides, turning them carefully without breaking them; when they are done, transfer them to a hot dish, and fry more in the same way; when all the tomatoes are fried, pour out of the pan all the lard, saving it for frying tomatoes again, and put in a tablespoonful each of flour and butter; stir them over the fire until they are brown, then gradually stir in a pint of boiling water; season the gravy thus made rather highly with salt and pepper, and let it boil for two minutes; then pour it on a deep platter, lay the fried tomatoes on it without breaking them, and serve them hot. BROILED TOMATOES. Choose large, firm tomatoes, wash them in cold water, and wipe them dry; have ready a double wire gridiron well buttered, a plate containing four tablespoonfuls of flour seasoned highly with salt and pepper, and two tablespoonfuls of butter melted by a gentle heat; see that the fire is very hot and clear; cut the tomatoes half an inch thick, dip the slices first in the melted butter and then in the flour, lay them between the bars of the buttered gridiron, and brown them quickly on both sides; serve the broiled tomatoes on a hot dish, as soon as they are done, putting a small bit of butter on each slice. STEWED TOMATOES. Use either canned tomatoes, or fresh ones scalded and peeled; put them over the fire with a heaping tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful of sugar, and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, to each quart, and stew them gently for half an hour; if they are wanted thick, use a few bread or cracker crumbs to produce the proper consistency; if milk or cream is added to them, add also a saltspoonful of baking- soda to modify the acidity of the tomatoes and prevent the curdling of the milk. CANNED TOMATOES. Choose perfectly ripe, sound tomatoes; three bushels will fill about four dozen glass jars; those with the porcelain-lined tops, with rubber bands for excluding the air, are the best for family use, and the capacity of the jars should be about a quart; the tomatoes should first be put in boiling water for about two minutes, or long enough to remove the skins, and then skimmed out of the hot water and drained; as fast as the tomatoes are peeled, they should be cut in halves, and laid in a hair sieve to drain, and when the sieve is full they should be slightly pressed to force out the juice, and then transferred to an earthen bowl; when all the tomatoes are peeled and drained, put them over the fire in a porcelain-lined kettle, or a new tin boiler, and stir them until they boil thoroughly; then commence to put them into the glass jars as follows, but keep them boiling until the cans are all filled: have the jars close by the stove, on a table covered with a wet cloth; have a pan by the side of the boiler, with a little hot water in it; have on the table another pan containing hot water; first roll a jar in the pan of hot water on the table, then set it in the pan of hot water on the stove, and fill it to overflowing with the boiling tomatoes; at once put on the rubber, and screw down the cover; then place the jar on the table, and fill and cover another until all are closed, taking care to keep the tomatoes boiling all the time, until all the jars are filled. When the jars are cold, the covers should again be screwed tight. The tomatoes will keep best in a cool, dark place; and it is well to wrap each jar in paper to exclude the light. Tomatoes may be canned in the jars by following the directions given for so canning fruit. PARSNEPS WITH CREAM. Scrape three large parsneps, slice them half an inch thick and two inches long, and boil them in salted boiling water until they are tender; then drain off the water, add to the parsneps two tablespoonfuls of butter and half a cupful of cream, season them palatably with white pepper and salt, let them boil once, and then serve them. SALT PORK AND PARSNEPS. Salt pork and parsneps are stewed together for half an hour; the water then drained off, and the pork and parsneps sliced and browned together, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper. This is an old New-England dish. BROILED PARSNEPS. Boil the parsneps as directed in the preceding recipe, drain them, dry them on a clean towel, split them in slices half an inch thick, dip them in melted butter seasoned with salt and pepper, and put them between the bars of a double wire gridiron; broil them brown over a hot fire, and serve them hot. BERMUDA ONIONS BOILED. Carefully peel the onions without breaking them apart, and boil them, only until tender, in salted boiling water; drain them as soon as they are done, pour over them sufficient hot drawn butter or Dutch sauce to nearly cover them, and serve them at once. Bermuda onions are good fried or scalloped. BOILED ONIONS. The best native onions for boiling are the white ones, but the red variety may be cooked in the same way; peel the onions without trimming off the roots and tops closely enough to cause them to break apart, put them over the fire in plenty of salted boiling water for ten minutes; then pour off the water, replace it with milk, season the onions palatably with salt, pepper, and butter, and stew them gently until they are tender; then serve them hot. SPANISH ONIONS FRIED. Peel and slice two pounds of Spanish onions, put them into a frying-pan containing two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter made smoking hot over the fire, season them with a teaspoonful of salt and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, dust them very lightly with a little cayenne-pepper, and stir them over the fire until they are tender; as soon as they are tender, serve them on toast, pouring over them the gravy they yield in cooking. SCALLOPED ONIONS. Peel two pounds of Spanish onions, or any large white variety; put them over the fire in sufficient boiling water to cover them, with a teaspoonful of salt, and boil them until tender. Meantime grate an equal quantity of bread-crumbs, and just moisten them with cold milk. When the onions are tender, pull them apart witht wo forks, and put them into a buttered earthen baking-dish in layers with the moistened bread-crumbs; season each layer lightly with salt and pepper; let the top layer be of bread-crumbs; put a tablespoonful of butter over it in small pieces, and place the dish in a hot oven until the bread-crumbs are brown; then serve it hot at once. BOILED LEEKS. Use young green leeks or the new green onions which are marketed in the spring; carefully wash them in salted cold water, trim away the roots and the broken or wilted tops, tie them again in small bunches, and put them over the fire in salted boiling water; boil small onions ten minutes, leeks twenty minutes, and then drain them. Have ready a slice of dry toast for each bunch, and a tablespoonful of butter melted with a saltspoonful of salt and a quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper; lay the leeks on the toast, pour the melted butter over them, and serve them hot. BOILED SQUASH. Peel a large squash or two small ones, cut them in pieces about an inch square, put them over the fire in salted boiling water, and boil them until they are tender; meantime, for three pints of squash mix together over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour, and stir them until they are brown; then gradually add a pint of boiling water and a high seasoning of salt and pepper; when this sauce boils, set it aside until the squash is done; after the squash is drained from the water in which it was boiled, put it into the hot brown sauce, and serve it at once. Or, simply mash the boiled squash through a colander, heat it with salt, pepper, and butter, and serve it. BAKED YELLOW SQUASH. If the vegetable is very young and immature, it may be washed and cooked without peeling or removing the seeds. But if it is ripe, both seeds and peeling must be taken away, and the squash cut in half-inch slices; put it into a baking-dish, place it in a moderate oven, and bake it until it is tender enough to be easily broken with a fork; the length of time required will depend upon the maturity of the vegetable; a large, ripe squash will bake in about an hour. When the squash is tender, put with it two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, a teaspoonful of salt, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper; mix the seasoning entirely through the squash, return it to the oven to heat, and then serve it very hot. Squash may be fried like egg-plant . SUMMER SQUASH. Peel a squash, cut it in small pieces, and boil it in salted boiling water until it is tender; then drain it, put it into a clean towel, and wring out all the water; put it again into a saucepan over the fire with two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter and a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, stir it over the fire until it is hot, and then serve it. SUMMER SQUASH STEWED. If the skin of the squash is tough, peel it; otherwise slice the vegetable, after first washing it in cold water; put it over the fire in just boiling water enough to cover it, and boil it for about twenty minutes, or until it is tender enough to mash through a colander. After the squash is drained and mashed, to each pint of it add a gill of cream and the beaten yolk of one raw egg; season it palatably with salt and pepper; stir it over the fire just long enough to heat it thoroughly, and then serve it hot. Or, after the squash is tender, add plenty of butter to it, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, and stir it over the fire until the moisture is nearly all evaporated, and then serve it hot. Or, scallop the squash with the addition of bread-crumbs and salt, pepper, and butter, and brown it in the oven. MACARONI AND SPAGHETTI. Good Italian macaroni, both large and small, can now be bought in nearly all American cities. It should never be washed before boiling; if it is dusty, wipe it with a dry cloth; put it over the fire in plenty of salted boiling water, and boil it fast for ten minutes, or until it is just tender; then drain it, and throw it into cold water; this washing will remove the excess of farina ceous matter that makes it sticky; after cooling in the cold water, it can be heated in any sauce preferred, and the kind of sauce used will give the name to the dish; tomato, mushroom, and white sauces are usually employed. The addition of a little chopped cold ham, tongue, or chicken, to macaroni makes a delicious dish; fried onions are very good with macaroni, making the favorite Italian farmer's dish. The addition of white and tomato sauce and some chopped mushrooms and meat or poultry makes Milanaise macaroni. Boiled macaroni put into a dish with layers of grated cheese, and moistened with white sauce, or with a little milk and butter, makes a good baked dish; a few bread-crumbs may be put over the top if they are desired. Macaroni or spaghetti dressed with a little mushroom-sauce makes a delicious garnish for a baked or roasted filet of beef, or for a thick broiled beefsteak. CHAPTER IX. SECOND-COURSE SWEETS (Entremêts). THE sweets called entremêts upon bills of fare arranged according to European style include those served in this country as dessert, such as puddings, cakes, pies, and tarts, and sometimes moulded jellies; the few jellies of this kind for which there is space are given in the next chapter with the frozen puddings. The breads, both large and small, including those suitable for breakfast and luncheon, are given in this chapter, as are the fritters and griddle-cakes, and a fair variety of pudding-sauces. There is not room enough to give recipes for many cakes: this need not be a matter of regret, for usually American cookery-books are chiefly made up of them; the few that are given are good, and the reader is referred to the author's other works for a greater variety. ST. HONORÉ CAKE. A St. HonorÉ cake is a combination of candied fruit, pastry, and cream custard. To make the pastry, put over the fire in a thick saucepan one pint of water, a quarter of a pound of butter, and half an ounce of sugar; when the water boils, throw in half a pound of flour, and beat the paste until it cleaves away from the sides of the saucepan; take the saucepan off the fire, let the paste cool for five minutes, and beat in eight eggs, two at a time, thoroughly mixing them before adding more; the paste should be soft enough to drop easily from the mixing-spoon, but not soft enough to spread when dropped; drop part of the paste upon a buttered and flour ed pan in pieces as large as a hickory-nut; form a ring of more of it, as large as the cake is desired, and about an inch broad and high; put more of it in a thin round the size of the cake, to use as a bottom when it is not intended to take the trouble to make a bottom round of what is called patÉ d'office; some cooks make the bottom of a thin round of cake, but this is not advisable, for if the St. HonorÉ custard stands in the cake it saturates and softens it. Bake the little balls and ring in a moderate oven; when they are cool, cut a small place in each, and fill them with cold St. HonorÉ custard. ST. HONORÉ CUSTARD. After the St. HonorÉ cakes are put into the oven, make the custard as follows: For a cake of medium size, put in a thick saucepan over the fire the yolks of six raw eggs, an ounce and a half of potato or rice flour, and half a pint of milk, and stir them constantly until the mixture is quite smooth, and begins to thicken; then take it off the fire, stir with an egg-whip for a minute; mix half a pound of sifted powdered sugar with the whites of six eggs beaten to a stiff froth, and then whip this mÉringue with the custard, return it to the fire, and beat it for a moment with the egg-whip; when it is quite smooth, pour it into an earthen dish, and cool it; it will be ready to use for the St. HonorÉ cake as soon as it is cold. After the custard is made, blanch some almonds by pouring boiling water upon the kernels, and then rubbing them on a wet towel to remove the skins; cut some white grapes in clusters of two and three, and make ready some quarters of mandarin oranges, or French candied fruits, and some cherries, and put each one on the end of a long wire skewer. TO GLAçÉ FRUIT. Put a pound of loaf-sugar over the fire in a copper sugar-boiler , with a gill of cold water, and boil it until the top is covered with large bubbles; then drop a little of it into cold water; if, when it is cold, it breaks with a snap, it is ready; the sides of the boiler must occasionally be wiped with a wet cloth to free them from sugar, and the sugar closely watched lest it boil beyond the point just indicated; when the sugar is ready, take the boiler from the fire, and glaçÉ the nuts and fruit by dipping them into the sugar, and then laying them on a dish slightly coated with salad-oil. ST. HONORÉ CAKE, TO SHAPE. When the pastry ring and puffs are filled with the cold custard, and the fruit is covered with sugar, shape the St. HonorÉ cake as follows, making it look like the engraving which accompanies this recipe. First lay a flat sheet of St. HonorÉ Cake. An Illustration of a St. HonorÉ Cake. pastry on a round flat dish; on the sheet lay the ring of pastry filled with custard, fixing it in place with some of the melted sugar; then arrange the puffs filled with custard, and the candied fruit, as shown in the cut, and finally heap the cold custard in the centre. The cake should not be made until shortly before it is required for use, because it deteriorates by standing, and, if the weather is damp, the candied fruit soon becomes sticky. RUM BUNS. Rum buns, or Savarin cakes, are baked in little moulds, which are thickly spread with cold butter, half filled with Savarin paste, allowed to rise one-third in height, and then baked in a moderate oven until a straw can be passed into them without any of the cake sticking to it; the little cakes or buns are cooled, and then set in a dish containing rum sirup until they absorb enough of it to soften them; the sirup is made by dissolving in cold water as much white sugar as it will receive, and then flavoring it with the best Jamaica rum. Savarin Cake or Rum Bun. An illustration of a Savarin Cake or Rum Bun. Savarin paste is made as follows: Sift two pounds of flour into a deep bowl, make a hole in the middle, and put into it an ounce of compressed yeast, dissolved in half a pint of lukewarm milk; with the milk mix enough of the flour to form a thick batter in the middle of the flour; cover the bowl, and let the batter rise in a warm place until it is foaming; then add one ounce of sugar, half an ounce of salt, mix in the rest of the flour, and knead in six eggs, one at a time; then mix in a pound and a half of butter, and knead in six more eggs, one at a time, and enough warm milk to make a batter thick enough to retain its form when dropped from a spoon upon paper; stir in a little sliced citron, or a few seeded raisins, and bake the cakes as directed above. BATH BUNS. Beat to a cream half a pound each of butter and sugar; add to it the yolks of eight eggs, and again beat the mixture until it foams; sift half a small saltspoonful of powdered tumeric and a level teaspoonful of salt with a pound and a quarter of flour; add a level tablespoonful of caraway-seeds to the sugar, eggs, and butter, and then very quickly stir in the flour; put the batter thus made upon baking-pans well rubbed with butter, or covered with buttered paper, in pieces as large as an ordinary lemon; on the top of each one put a teaspoonful of granulated sugar, or press well into the top of each a lump of loaf-sugar and a small cube of citron. Bake the buns in a moderate oven until a straw can be run through them without sticking. The same ingredients can be made light by using half an ounce of compressed yeast, and then baked according to the directions for any raised cake. BRIOCHE. An excellent brioche or coffee-cake can be made as follows: Make a leaven by mixing together to a soft dough a quarter of a pound of flour and two ounces of compressed yeast, dissolved in a gill of lukewarm water; put it into a flour ed saucepan, put on the cover, and place the saucepan in another containing hot water, to swell the leaven quickly to double its size, but do not scald it; then put on a pastry-board Uncooked Brioche. An illustration of an uncooked Brioche Brioche or Coffee Cake. An illustration of a Brioche or Coffee Cake. three-quarters of a pound of flour, two tablespoonfuls of water, in which four tablespoonfuls of sugar and a level teaspoonful of salt have been dissolved, two eggs, and ten ounces of butter cut in small pieces, and knead them together until a smooth paste is formed; then knead in four more eggs, one at a time; after the eggs add the leaven, and knead it well with the dough; then put the dough into a flour ed bowl, cover it with a folded towel, put it in a warm place in winter, or a moderately cool place in summer, and let it rise for four hours; at the end of four hours knead it, and again let it rise for two hours; form it in rings or loaves like those shown in the accompanying engravings, brush them with beaten egg, put them on flour ed pans, and let them rise again to twice their original height, keeping a folded towel over them; after this final rising, bake them for about half an hour in a moderate oven. Fruit may be added at discretion during the final kneading, and sugar thickly dusted over the surface of the brioche if it is desired. BRIOCHE RING. This is a favorite form of baking fruit brioche, to be served with coffee for luncheon; after the brioche paste is made as directed in the preceding recipe, add plenty of citron, Brioche Ring. An illustration of a Brioche Ring. seeded raisins, and currants to it, form it in a ring on paper thickly buttered, and bake it, following the preceding recipe. Very good brioche may be served among the second-Course sweets, with grated Parmesan cheese, or Gruyere cut in dice. ALMOND MACAROONS. Blanch a quarter of a pound of shelled almonds, pound them smooth in a mortar, adding two or three drops of rose-water whenever the pounded almonds begin to look oily; when they are smooth, beat the white of one egg, and mix it with the almonds; then beat two more whites stiff, mix them lightly with a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and add them to the whites and almonds already mixed; when the mixture is smooth, stir into it another quarter of a pound of powdered sugar; when the macaroon batter looks creamy, put it in little balls on paper slightly wet with a little brush; bake the macaroons in a cool oven. ALMOND BISCUIT. Blanch, and chop rather fine, four ounces of almonds. Beat twelve whites of egg to a stiff froth; mix smoothly with them a pound of powdered sugar, and three-quarters of a pound of flour; put the mixture in little heaps on a baking-pan buttered, or covered with buttered paper, and cover each one with chopped almonds; bake the biscuit in a moderate oven. ALMOND CAKE. Sift a pound of flour, and put it near the fire to dry; pour boiling water over a quarter of a pound of shelled almonds, rub off the skins, and chop the kernels a little; line two medium-size cake-moulds with buttered paper, or butter the moulds thickly, and dust them with powdered sugar; and see that the oven is properly heated. Beat six ounces or a cupful of butter to a cream, with half a pound of powdered sugar; add a tablespoonful of rosewater, and then gradually beat in the flour; beat the whites of twelve eggs to a stiff froth, and lightly mix half a pound of powdered sugar with them; then mix the whites and almonds with the cake-batter, working very quickly and lightly; put the batter into the moulds, set the moulds on earthen plates, and bake the cakes in a moderate oven for about three-quarters of an hour, or until a clean broom-straw can be thrust into them and withdrawn without being sticky. LADY CAKE. Make this cake like the preceding, omitting the almonds. PINEAPPLE CAKE. Have ready two cake-moulds, as directed in the preceding recipe. Peel a small pineapple, and grate it; beat a quarter of a pound of butter to a cream with a pound of powdered sugar; add the yolks of twelve eggs to it, and the grated pineapple; sift a level teaspoonful of salt, and two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, with a pound of flour, and then quickly beat the flour into the cake-batter; put the batter at once into the moulds, and bake the cakes as directed in the preceding recipe. This cake is quite new, and very good. ORANGE CAKE. Make it like the pineapple cake, using orange pulp and juice, free from seeds, instead of the pineapple. CITRON POUND CAKE. Cut a quarter of a pound of candied citron in small pieces; see that the oven is properly heated; line two cake-tins with buttered paper; sift a pound of flour. Put a pound of butter into a large bowl, and beat it to a cream; then beat in the following ingredients successively: one pound of powdered sugar, one pound of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, eight eggs, and a wineglassful of brandy; last of all, add the citron, and bake the cake as directed in the recipe for almond cake . PLUM CAKE. For several cakes use the following ingredients (it is well to make several, because they improve by keeping): wash and dry a pound and a half of currants; slightly chop the same quantity of the best dried or candied cherries, and half a pound of shelled and blanched almonds; half a pound each of orange, lemon, and citron peel, cut in small bits; use half an ounce of mixed ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmegs, a teaspoonful of salt, half a pint of brandy, eight eggs, a pound of fine sugar, and a pound and a half each of butter and sifted flour. See that the oven is properly heated, and line the cake-moulds with buttered paper. Beat the butter to a cream, then gradually beat in the sugar, flour, and eggs, then the brandy, salt, spice, and fruit; when all the ingredients are smoothly mixed, put the cakes into the buttered moulds, and bake them slowly. As plum-cake is usually iced, several good recipes for cake icings are given. SPONGE CAKE. Rub the inside of a smooth cake-pan, or plain charlotte-mould, with olive-oil or melted butter, and dust it thickly with powdered sugar; sift six ounces of flour; grate the yellow rind of a lemon; separate the whites from the yolks of twelve eggs; weigh two ounces of powdered sugar, and sift it; weigh four ounces of powdered sugar, and beat it with the yolks until they are thick and creamy; if possible, have a second person beating the whites; at all events, beat them Bag and Cone for making Lady-Fingers. An illustration of a person holding a bag and a cone for makeing lady-fingers. to a stiff froth, and lightly mix with them the two ounces of sugar; then quickly and lightly mix, without beating, a third of the flour with the yolks; then a third of the whites; then more flour and whites, until all are used; add the grated rind during the mixing. The motion of mixing must be very light, rather cutting down through the cake-batter than beating it; beating the eggs makes them light, beating the batter makes the cake tough. As soon as the cake is mixed, turn it into the pan, and bake it in a moderate oven until a broom-straw run into it can be withdrawn clean. LADY-FINGERS. Beat to a cream the yolks of six eggs, and half a pound of powdered sugar; beat six whites to a stiff froth, and lightly mix with them a quarter of a pound of sifted flour; then quickly and lightly mix these two batters; put them on paper laid on pans, using the bag and tube as shown in the accompanying cut, or substitute moulds for this purpose; dust the lady-fingers with powdered sugar, and bake them in a moderate oven until light brown. This recipe makes a good sponge-cake if it is baked in rather thin cakes. CHARLOTTE RUSSE. For a charlotte like that shown in the accompanying engraving, use for the sides lady-fingers, with the ends cut square, or small slices of sponge-cake; for the top use small round sponge-cakes or macaroons; lay the cakes inside a plain round mould, arranging them as shown in the picture, and slightly wetting the overlapping portions with the raw white of egg to keep them in place; while the egg is drying, prepare enough whipped cream to fill the centre of the charlotte, according to the recipe for whipped cream; just before sending the charlotte to table, fill it with the cream, turn it out of the mould on a pretty dish, and serve it at once. Charlotte Russe. An illustration of a plate of charlotte russe. Other creams, such as Bavarian, are sometimes used; but the plain whipped cream makes the most delicate charlotte. WHIPPED CREAM. Flavor and sweeten half a pint of sweet cream to taste; whip it for two minutes with an egg-whip, and let it stand for a minute for the froth to free itself from air-bubbles; then skim off the froth, and put it in a colander set in a dish to drain; again whip the cream to a froth, and skim; proceed in this way until all the cream is whipped; then put it in a cool place until it is required for the table. PAPER CASES FOR SMALL CHARLOTTES. When small charlottes are desired, and there are no individual moulds at hand, paper cases can be made as shown in the accompanying picture; a circle of stiff pasteboard, or a round tin cup without a handle, will serve to form the cases; by cutting the paper as shown on the upper edge, and then turning it as shown at the bottom, the shape of the circle will be preserved; if the paper is brushed with the white of egg before it is turned up, it will surely stay in place. The paper cases are lined with a strip of thin sponge-cake, a bottom of cake is fitted in; and then they are ready to fill, as directed in the recipe for charlotte-russe. Paper Case for Small Charlottes. An illustration of a paper case for small charlottes. CAKE BAKED IN PAPER. When a cake-pan is too shallow for the quantity of cake desired, or when the cake is so light that it is likely to rise above the top of the pan, it can be kept in shape by using a stiff glazed paper, cut as shown in the accompanying engraving, and thickly coated with butter before the cake is put into it; if the oven-heat is moderate, the butter will preserve the paper from burning. It may not be amiss to reprint the following hints for the successful baking of cake:- In baking cake, the greatest care should be taken to guard against too great heat in the oven; a layer of sand on the bottom of the oven, about half an inch thick, is a safeguard against burning on the bottom; if the general heat is too great, the cake will burn, or crack on the top, before it can bake properly; if the oven is not hot enough, the cake will not rise properly. A very safe test of the heat is to put a spoonful of the cake dough or batter on a bit of buttered paper, and slip it into the oven; this may be done during Cake Baked in Paper. An illustration of cake baked in paper. the final mixing of the cake, so that it will not have to stand after it is ready for the oven; if the little cake bakes evenly and quickly, without burning at the edge, the heat is right, and the large cake may be put into the oven. An experienced baker always knows the varying temperatures of the oven, and takes care that the heat is right before the cake is begun. PLAIN ICING FOR CAKES. Separate the white and yolk of one egg, and sift four ounces of pulverized sugar; beat the white of egg until it foams; then gradually beat in the fine sugar, until a smooth icing is formed, when it will be ready to use; keep the icing very cold until it is needed. BOILED ICING. Put five ounces of white sugar over the fire in a sugar-boiler , with a gill of cold water, and boil it until it is thick enough to drop in fine threads from the spoon, from which a little is poured; while the sugar is thus being boiled to a thread, beat the white of one egg to a stiff froth, and when the sugar is ready pour it gradually into the egg, beating all the time, until the icing is white and smooth; then apply it to the cake. TUTTI FRUTTI ICING. Mix with a boiled icing made as directed above, one ounce each of chopped citron, candied cherries, seedless raisins, candied pineapple, and blanched almonds. CONFECTIONER'S ICING. Beat the whites of two eggs to a foam; then sift in gradually half a pound of powdered sugar, beating all the time, until a smooth, thick icing is formed, which can be smoothly cut and spread; keep the icing cold until it is wanted for use. FRUIT ICING. To the quantity of confectioner's icing given in the recipe, add two tablespoonfuls of any fruit-juice, and two heaping tablespoonfuls more of powdered sugar; use the icing as soon as it is made. FRUIT-CREAM ICING. Mix together one tablespoonful each of water and any fruit-juice , the white of one egg, and enough finely powdered sugar to make a smooth icing of like consistency with that produced from any of the preceding recipes, and use it at once. CORN-STARCH ICING. Sift together four ounces of powdered sugar, and a quarter of an ounce of corn-starch; beat the white of one egg stiff, and then gradually beat into it the sugar and corn-starch, until a smooth icing is formed, which can be cut and spread with a flexible knife; keep the icing cool until it is required for use. ALMOND ICING. Pour boiling water upon an ounce of shelled almonds, including a few bitter almonds; rub off the skins with a wet cloth, and then pound the nuts to a smooth paste, in a mortar, adding a few drops of rosewater whenever the almonds begin to look oily; thoroughly mix the almonds with a confectioner's icing, and use it at once. PAPER CONES FOR ICING. In icing cakes where ornamentation is desired, the little paper cones shown in the accompanying engraving will be found useful; the tip of the second figure, b, may be cut off to permit the escape of the icing; or a larger cut may be made and a metal tip inserted, as shown at the lower end of Fig. 3. To make the cones, cut pieces of paper shaped like Fig. I, about twelve inches across the longest diagonal side, and five inches from A to C ; make creases in the paper following the dotted lines from A up to O and down to P, and then from E to D; take the tip of the paper marked C between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, holding the point marked A upward, and the diagonal or bias side of the paper toward one; then take the tip of the paper marked B between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and turn the paper around the fingers of the left hand until the creased lines A and P to the point O overlap each other; this will bring the creased line E to D upon the upper open part of the cone, leaving the long point of paper towards B projecting above the upper opening of the cone; turn the point down inside the cone, and it will keep the entire cone in form as shown in Fig. 2; the tip may be cut off, forming the semicircular line marked K K, through which opening the icing passes out of the cone. After the cone is filled with icing to within about a third Paper Cones for Icing. An illustration of the way to make paper cones for icing. of the top, the top is folded down, as shown in Fig. 3, in such a way as to enclose the icing: then, by holding the full cone in the left hand, with the tip or bottom projecting beyond the thumb and forefinger, the icing can be pressed out at the tip by using the thumb of the right hand to force it downward in the cone. As the icing softens paper, it is well to use a rather stiff kind, and to make at least half a dozen cones before beginning to ice a cake. Small bags may be made of thick cotton cloth, with suitable metal tips fastened at the lower pointed end, to use for icing cakes. OMELETTE SOUFFLÉ. An omelette soufflÉ properly made is one of the most delicious of hot sweets. It is not difficult to make after its principles are understood, and yet it is seldom well made by ordinary cooks. Many dishes made from mixtures which contain flour and milk are called by the name of this one, but they are in no way entitled to such distinction. The true omelette soufflÉ contains only eggs, sugar, and the chosen flavoring. A tin-lined copper soufflÉ -pan, or a thick enamelled metal dish, which will quickly heat, and remain hot after it is taken from the oven, is required for cooking the omelet; spread the pan with cold butter, and see that the oven is quite hot before the omelet is made. Put in a quart bowl the yolks of three raw eggs, six heaping tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar, and a teaspoonful of any good flavoring essence or cordial, and beat them to a smooth cream; beat the whites of six eggs to a stiff froth, and then quickly and lightly put the yolks and sugar with the whites. This part of the operation requires a quick, deft hand. The yolks should be poured in the centre of the whites, and then cut down through, rather than beaten or stirred; by holding the spoon in the right hand with the bowl outward, and cutting down into the whites with its edge, an inward and upward turn of the right wrist will bring the spoon out again on the top of the whites; repeat this cutting down and turning motion rapidly and lightly until the omelet is mixed; then as rapidly and lightly put the omelet into the pan in which it is to be baked, dust it over with powdered sugar, place it in the oven, and bake it until it is delicately browned, which will be in about ten minutes if the oven is moderately hot. Do not begin to make the soufflÉ until about twenty minutes before it is needed at the table. It is better to have the guests wait for it than to have it ruined by standing after it is done. Send it to the table directly it is taken from the oven, slipping the soufflÉ -pan on a hot platter. Some cooks hold a hot salamander over a soufflÉ in carrying it to the dining-room. ALMOND SOUFFLÉ. This soufflÉ may be baked in a soufflÉ -dish of metal, or in small paper cases made by folding stiff white paper as shown in the first of the annexed cuts; the cases should not be filled more than one-half, because the soufflÉ rises very high; and it should be served as soon as done, because it falls directly the heat is withdrawn from it. Some careful cooks hold a hot salamander over soufflÉs in carrying them from the oven to the dining-room door. Cuts of salamanders are given elsewhere. After the soufflÉ is baked, it has the appearance of the second picture. To make almond Paper Cases for SoufflÉ An illlustration of paper cases for souffle. soufflÉ, separate the yolks from the whites of six eggs; pound four ounces of almond macaroons fine; put half a pint of cream over the fire with four ounces of powdered sugar and a wineglass of brandy, and stir until the cream is scalding hot; then pour the cream over the macaroons, and let the mixture cool. When it is cold, beat in the yolks of the eggs; have the paper cases set on a baking-sheet; beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and quickly stir them into the soufflÉ -mixture; put it at once into the paper cases, and bake them in a moderate oven until light brown. Serve the soufflÉs directly they are brown, arranging them upon a pretty dish, and hastening them to the table. SoufflÉ Baked in Paper Case. An illustration of a SoufflÉ baked in a paper case. SoufflÉ Dished for Serving. An illustration of a SoufflÉ dished for serving. SALAMANDERS. Salamanders are heavy pieces of iron, fitted with thick wooden handles. They are heated for the purpose of browning dishes that need not be placed in the oven, such as the meringue on cold pies, and breaded dishes that do not require heating. They are very useful when the oven heat is too slow to properly color baked dishes; and they are also used to hold above dishes which should be served very hot, such as soufflÉs. Salamanders. An illustration of two salamanders. BOILED AND STEAMED PUDDINGS. The advantage of steaming puddings over boiling them is that they are less likely to be watery if they are steamed. Any of the boiled puddings may be steamed in an ordinary steamer, but a little longer time must be allowed for cooking them; and care must be taken to have the cover of the steamer very tight, in order to prevent the escape of steam. If the cover is loose, it should have a cloth laid under it to make it fit tightly. Also, care should be exercised lest the water in the steamer become exhausted. HOT CABINET-PUDDING, RUM SAUCE. Butter a round or oval plain tin pudding-mould thickly with cold butter. Cut a quarter of a pound of citron in the form of leaves and stems. Cut some fanciful flower shapes from four ounces of French candied fruit, choosing a good variety of colors, and chop the rest of the fruit. Have ready four ounces of candied cherries. With the fruit-flowers , cherries, and citron-leaves make wreaths upon the bottom and sides of the buttered mould, fixing the fruit in place with the cold butter. Over the fruit decoration lay thin sponge-cake cut so as to fit the inside of the mould. After the mould is lined with cake, fill it with alternate layers of cake and the fruit not used for decoration. Make a custard by thoroughly mixing four eggs, four heaping tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a pint of milk. Strain this custard, and slowly pour it into the mould containing the cake and fruit. Set the mould in a saucepan containing enough hot water to reach half way up the sides of the mould. Cover the saucepan, and steam the pudding for two hours, or until the custard is quite firm. Test the custard by running a small sharp knife down through it. If the custard is liquid enough to stain the knife, steam the pudding longer. When the pudding is done turn it out of the mould, and serve it with rum-sauce. If a tight covered mould is used, there will be no danger of water penetrating the pudding: otherwise care must be taken to prevent this. FOREST-CITY RUM SAUCE. Beat to a smooth cream the yolks of two raw eggs, two heaping tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, and a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg. Beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth. Just before serving the sauce, quickly and lightly mix with the whites two heaping tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar; then mix in the yolks, and finally a glass of the best old Jamaica rum, or more, according to taste. Use the sauce as soon as it is made. CHRISTMAS PLUM-PUDDING. Stone one pound of raisins, put them in a bowl, pour over them a glass of brandy, and let them stand while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared. Pick over a pound of currants, wash them thoroughly in plenty of cold water, rub them dry on a towel, and then in a sieve with a little flour to separate the stems from them. Free a pound of beef-suet from skin, and chop it fine with four tablespoonfuls of flour. Cut in thin slices two ounces of citron and one ounce each of candied lemon and orange peel. Grate the yellow rind and squeeze the juice of one orange and one lemon. Pour boiling water on four ounces of shelled almonds; let them remain in it until the skins become moist, then rub them off the nuts with a clean dry towel, and cut each nut in three or four slices. Grate one nutmeg, and sift it into a pound of sugar, with one teaspoonful of salt. Crumb one pound of dry bread from the inside of a stale loaf. Then mix together all these ingredients with the hand, adding to them eight eggs, one glass each of good brandy and sherry, and just enough cream or rich milk to slightly moisten the pudding. Butter and flour a tin pudding-mould, shaking out all superfluous flour; fill the mould to within an inch of the top; lay a round of buttered white paper over the pudding, cover the mould so tightly that no water can penetrate to the pudding while it is boiling, and fasten the cover securely. Set the pudding-mould in sufficient boiling water to reach two-thirds up the side, and boil the pudding steadily for ten hours, replenishing the water as it boils away. The mould must be perfectly water -tight, or the pudding will be spoiled. The mould must not be opened until the pudding is wanted for the table. Plum-puddings made in this way will keep for a long time in a cool, dry place. Before using them the mould must be placed in boiling water, as before directed, and the pudding boiled for two hours. Serve the pudding hot, turned from the mould upon a hot dish; just before sending it to the table, pour over it a glass of rum or brandy, set fire to the spirits, and send the pudding to the table blazing. Serve with a dishful of rum or brandy sauce. BRANDY SAUCE. Brown two tablespoonfuls of sugar over the fire; add two tablespoonfuls of brandy, six whole cloves, an inch of stick cinnamon, the yellow rind of a lemon cut very thin, and half a pint of water. Let the sauce boil; pour it into a sauce-bowl containing the juice of a lemon and two wineglasses of brandy, and serve it at once. BOILED BATTER-PUDDING. Butter a tin pudding-mould or an earthen bowl thickly; beat the yolks of four raw eggs to a cream, add to them half a pound of flour sifted with a heaping teaspoonful of baking-powder and half a teaspoonful of salt; next smoothly and gradually mix in a pint of milk, and four whites of egg beaten to a froth; put the pudding at once into the buttered mould, and close it water-tight; put it into boiling water, and boil it steadily; the length of time for boiling steadily is two hours; when the batter is put into a buttered earthen bowl, the bowl should not be quite full, and a cloth, wet in hot water and then flour ed, should be tied over the bowl, meeting under the bottom. Batter-puddings must always be served as soon as they are done. FRUIT SAUCE. Any good pudding-sauce accompanies batter-puddings; a simple one can be made by mixing with a fork equal parts of butter and granulated sugar, together with enough fruit juice or essence to flavor the sauce palatably. BRANDY HARD SAUCE. The use of wine or brandy in place of the fruit-juice transforms the sauce into brandy or wine sauce. BOILED BREAD-PUDDING. Grate a quart bowl full of stale bread, pour over it a quart of boiling milk, and let it stand an hour; then add sugar to taste, and three eggs beaten to a foam; butter a bowl just large enough to contain the pudding, put it into the bowl, and tie a flour ed cloth over the bowl, first wetting the cloth in hot water, and then thickly dusting it with flour; put the pudding into a large kettle half full of boiling water, and boil it steadily for half an hour; then turn it from the bowl, and serve it at once, with any good pudding-sauce. CARAMEL SAUCE. The following recipe is taken from the author's "Good Dinners every Day:" - Put four tablespoonfuls of white sugar in a saucepan upon the fire, with one tablespoonful of water; stir it constantly with a wooden spoon for three or four minutes until all the water evaporates; watch it carefully until it assumes a delicate brown color; in the mean time put into another sauce-pan six ounces of sugar, half the yellow rind of a lemon cut thin, one inch of stick-cinammon, and one pint of cold water; bring these to a boil gradually; simmer for ten minutes; add one glass of wine, or half a glass of brandy; strain the liquid quickly into the caramel, or browned sugar, mix them thoroughly, and serve the sauce with the pudding. BOILED APPLE-PUDDING. Peel about a quart of apples, cut them in quarters, remove the cores, and lay the apples in cold water; peel, boil, and mash half a dozen large potatoes , adding to them, while mashing them, half a pound of butter; then mix with the potatoes an equal quantity of flour, and sufficient cold water to form a stiff pastry, and roll it out about an inch thick; dip a large pudding-cloth in boiling water, spread it inside a bowl large enough to contain the apples, leaving the sides of the cloth hanging over the edges of the bowl; dredge the cloth quickly with flour, and then spread the crust over the cloth; next drain the apples, put them into the crust, mixing with them a teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, and four tablespoonfuls of brown sugar; draw the pastry up around the apples, enclosing them entirely, and slightly wetting the edges to make them adhere closely; then tie the pudding-cloth tightly around the pudding; put the pudding at once into a large pot of boiling water, and boil it steadily for three hours, keeping it well covered; when the pudding is done, remove the cloth, and serve it with any good pudding-sauce. EGG PUDDING-SAUCE. Beat to a cream one cupful each of butter and sugar, the yolk of a raw egg, and a glass of wine; beat the white of an egg to a froth; make the sauce as quickly as possible; when the ingredients first named are beaten to a cream, stir in a gill of boiling water, and the white of the egg, and send the sauce to the table at once. BOILED HUCKLEBERRY-PUDDING, WITH EGGS. Pick over, wash, and dry a quart of huckleberries, and roll them in flour; sift together a quart of flour, and one teaspoonful each of salt and baking-soda; butter a tight tin pudding-mould; beat half a cupful of butter and a cupful of sugar to a cream; beat two eggs to a cream with a cupful of sugar; next put the berries, flour, butter, sugar, and eggs into a mixing-bowl, and stir in sufficient sour milk to make a soft dough; put this dough into the buttered tin mould, close the mould so that no water can penetrate it, put it into a pot of actually boiling water, and boil it steadily for three hours; then turn the pudding from the mould, and serve it hot with any good pudding-sauce. The same pudding is excellent if baked in a buttered dish until the dough is quite done, for about half an hour. BERRY SAUCE. Mash a cupful of ripe berries; beat a cupful of sugar and half a cupful of butter to a cream; beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth; mix all these ingredients lightly together, and then serve the sauce at once; it should not be made until it is wanted for the table. BOILED RICE-DUMPLINGS. Pick over a cupful of rice, wash it in cold water, and put it over the fire to boil in two quarts of boiling water containing a tablespoonful of salt; boil the rice fast for twenty minutes, then drain it on a sieve; while the rice is being boiled, peel and core half a dozen medium-sized apples of good flavor, fill the centres with sugar and spice or with any good jelly or marmalade; when the rice is drained, put some of it around each apple in a layer about half an inch thick, taking care to entirely cover the apples; tie each apple in a small pudding-cloth, after it has been covered with rice; when all the little dumplings are thus prepared, drop them into boiling water, and boil them steadily for an hour; then carefully remove the cloths, and serve the dumplings without breaking them apart. Use any good pudding- sauce with them. A raw egg may be mixed with the rice before putting it over the apples, by way of varying the dish. MAPLE-SUGAR SAUCE. Break half a pound of maple-sugar in small bits, put it into a thick saucepan with half a gill of cold water; set the saucepan over the fire, and melt the sugar until it forms a clear sirup; then remove it from the fire, and stir in two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter cut in small bits. Serve the sauce hot with any fruit -pudding. BAKED PUDDINGS. Baked puddings are generally considered safer for inexperienced cooks to make, because there is no difficulty to be apprehended except burning, while they are being cooked, and that simply requires watchfulness to guard against it. Many of them are very delicate, and they are more likely to be digestible than boiled puddings. When baked puddings need sauces, any of those given with the recipes for boiled puddings will answer. BAKED PLUM-PUDDING. Mix the following ingredients as directed in the recipe for Christmas plum-pudding : Half a pound each of suet, raisins, and currants; quarter of a pound of sugar, sifted with one pound of flour, two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, and one of salt; one ounce each of candied citron, lemon, and orange-peel ; one small nutmeg, grated. Mix with them quickly one gill of brandy, one egg, and sufficient milk to make a thick batter; put the pudding at once into a buttered pudding-mould, and bake it for two hours in a moderate oven. Dust it with pulverized sugar before serving it, and send it to the table with rum or brandy sauce. BAKED INDIAN-PUDDING. Mix together one cupful each of yellow Indian meal and molasses, pour over them a quart of boiling milk, mixing it in gradually; then add a level teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of ground cinnamon or ginger, and a heaping tablespoonful of butter, and let these ingredients cool; when they are quite cold, put them into an earthen pudding-dish, set it in a moderate oven, and pour upon the top a pint of cold milk, but do not stir the milk into the pudding; bake the pudding for three hours, taking care that it does not burn. Serve the pudding either hot or cold. LEMON-PUDDING. Make a good pastry, and line an earthen dish with it; rub some lumps of sugar on the rind of two fresh lemons, to absorb the oil from them, and then squeeze the lemons, and strain the juice; melt six ounces or tablespoonfuls of butter by gentle heat; beat the yolks of eight eggs to a cream with half a pound of white sugar; last of all, beat eight whites to a stiff froth, mix them lightly with the other ingredients, put the mixture into the dish lined with pastry, and set the pudding in a moderate oven, to bake until the pastry is done; serve the pudding hot. COCOANUT-PUDDING WITH SPONGE-CAKE. Remove the shell and brown skin from a fresh cocoanut, and grate it fine; save the milk of the nut, and strain it; put the grated nut into an earthen dish with a pound of stale sponge-cake; add to the cocoanut-milk a tablespoonful of butter melted, and enough sweet milk to make a quart, and pour it over the nut and sponge-cake; beat four eggs thoroughly, mix them with the nut and cake, add four heaping tablespoonfuls of sugar, and put the pudding into an earthen dish; bake the pudding for half an hour in a moderate oven, and then serve it with powdered sugar. GRAPE-PUDDING. Butter an earthen baking-dish, and fill it with alternate layers of ripe grapes, sugar, and stale bread-crumbs, making the top layer of crumbs; bake it in a moderate oven for half an hour. Serve it hot with powdered sugar. MARLBOROUGH-PUDDING. Peel, core, and stew six large tart apples until they can be rubbed through a sieve with a potato-masher; melt six ounces of butter by gentle heat, and mix it with the apple; grate the rind and strain the juice of two lemons, and put them with the apple; beat the yolks of six eggs to a cream with eight ounces of sugar, and add them to the apple. Last of all, beat the whites of six eggs to a stiff froth, add them to the pudding, and bake it in an earthen dish, lined with nice pastry, for about half an hour, in a moderate oven. Serve it hot. PIES AND TARTS. Pastry forms such a large part of American so-called desserts, that it is fully illustrated and described; the pictures are copied from GouffÉ's "Royal Confectionery Book;" and the method given is that of Carème, now followed by the best-trained masters of the art of cookery. A great deal of patience and considerable practice are required to reach the point of success with puff-paste, but it is usually thought worth all necessary labor. It should always be made in the coolest available place, and in the intervals of doing other kitchen work, or the process will seem long and tiresome. For those who do not wish to undertake puff-paste, recipes are given for several easier and excellent pastries. PUFF-PASTE. The following recipe is reproduced from the author's "Baltimore Recipes;" the cuts which illustrate the process are copied from GouffÉ's "Royal Confectionery," as are many others in this volume. A smooth hard-wood roller, and a very thick hard-wood or stone pastry-slab are needed, the stone being preferable because it keeps the pastry cool. First wet the slab with a little water, lay upon it half a pound of butter, work out all the salt and buttermilk by kneading it with both hands, and then keep out about an ounce of butter; fold the rest in a flour ed napkin, and lay it upon some ice. Second, dry the slab thoroughly, sift upon it half a pound of fine white flour, form this in a circle or well, as shown in the first cut, putting aside about two ounces to dust the slab with; into the well drop the ounce of butter reserved and the yolk of one egg, and work them to a cream with the tips of the fingers; to this gradually add the flour Circle of Flour for Puff-Paste. An illustration of a circle of flour for puff-paste. from the well, with enough ice-cold water poured on from time to time as required to form a dough about the consistency of shortcake (about one cup of water, more or less, will be used, according to the body of the flour ); now work the paste about on the slab until it leaves it clean and free, and does not cling to the fingers; take it up in a ball, and dust the slab slightly with flour, lay on the paste, flatten it down, and beat it with the roller for five minutes, turning and doubling it constantly, or knead it like bread for five minutes. This process toughens it so that the butter will not break through in the subsequent manipulations. Third, raise the paste, and dust the slab again with flour; lay the paste on it, and roll out to a square of about eight inches; turn the face of the paste, or the paste which has been next the roller, down upon the slab, lay upon it the lump of cold butter, and fold the paste up and over it so as to cover every part; the butter may be enclosed in a square, as shown in the second cut, or the paste wrapped over it to form a ball; turn the ball thus formed upside down, roll it out gently and Butter enclosed in Paste. An illustration of butter enclosed in paste. evenly until the butter is incorporated with the paste, taking care not to break through the latter, as all the air-cells that can be gathered unbroken in the paste assist its rising; now turn the sheet of paste gently about on the slab, so that every part may be rolled to the same thickness of about one-quarter Puff-Paste rolled out. An illustration of puff-paste rolled out. of an inch; in turning the paste lift its outer edge, and gently lap it over the roller toward you, being sure not to tear it; roll it gently inward, keeping it around the roller, and lifting it clear from the board when you wish to turn it, or change its position in any way; when you wish to replace it upon the slab, gently unwind it from the roller, letting the face or part next the roller fall upon the slab. Fourth, the paste is now ready for forming the flakes; to do this, turn the face down, fold it in three thicknesses lengthwise, making it three times as long as it is wide, as shown in the third cut; and then folding it again three times to make the square shown in the fourth cut; lay it in a long pan flour ed, set this in a larger pan of ice, and place upon it a third pan filled with ice, so that the paste will be completely surrounded with ice; let the pan stand for five minutes in the ice-box, or in the Puff-Paste after a "turn." An illustration of puff-paste after a turn. coolest place you can command, always bearing in mind that the cooler the paste is kept, the better it will be. Repeat the folding process described in the "fourth" part, six times in succession, every time setting the paste in ice for five minutes, every time turning the face of the paste with the folds down to the slab, and every time folding in an opposite direction, or the butter will lie at one side, and the paste will rise unevenly in baking. Fifth, to finish: After the sixth time of folding, roll the paste out to the thickness of one-quarter of an inch, and cut out in shape with a knife for pies, or for patties with a sharp tin cutter of the size required, marking in the centre of each patty a circle an inch in diameter with a small pastry-cutter. For small tarts or patties have the paste one-quarter of an inch thick; for large ones, or vol-au-vents, have it about one-third thicker; for patties, use two layers of paste, put one over the other after cutting out, and wet the under layer with a soft brush dipped in cold water; brush the top of the second layer with an egg beaten up; this is called dorÉe, or gilding, and the process gives the pastry a beautiful golden blaze. In forming vol-au-vents or large pastries, use three or even four thicknesses of the paste, putting them together as for patties, brushing the under layers with cold water, and gilding the top. Sixth, and lastly, wet the baking-pan with water, instead of greasing it, lay the paste upon it, set it for five minutes upon the ice in order that the layers may adhere, and put in a moderate oven five minutes so that all the air-cells will have a chance to expand; then finish at a heat of about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and be sure that the patties are done before taking them from the oven, or they will fall. PATÉ D'OFFICE. PatÉ d'office, or office- paste, which is mentioned in the recipe for St. HonorÉ cake, is made by sifting a pound of flour upon the pastry-board, and making a hollow in the middle of the flour as shown in the illustration of puff-paste; into the centre put half a pound of powdered sugar, two whole eggs and the yolks of two more, and a level teaspoonful of salt; mix these ingredients to a smooth paste with the tips of the fingers, and then knead the paste thoroughly as directed in the recipe for puff-paste, until it is smooth and firm; if the paste is too dry to knead well, add one or more egg-yolks, to produce the proper consistency, and then roll it out and use it. Office- paste is used for making foundations and ornaments for various custards, baked egg-puddings, and creamy pies; it is palatable, and more digestible than pastry made with butter or shortening. FRUIT PATTIES. After puff-paste is made, cut patty-cases from it with the round pastry-cutters, a picture of which is given; the cutters are either fluted, as shown in the case, or plain circles, like the one in the engraving below. The cut of the first stage of patties shows the round for a patty, and the pastry from which it is cut; that of the second stage shows the plain cutter, one round of pastry with some mince-meat laid on it, a second round laid over the mince-meat, and then the two pressed together by the use of a small cutter, the under edges of the top round being wet to retain it in place while the patty is being baked; the top of the patty is gilded with beaten egg before it is baked. Open patties are made like the cases for oyster patties, and after they are cold they are filled with any good preserved fruit, and dished on a napkin, as shown in the last engraving which accompanies this recipe. CREAM CRUST. Add half a level teaspoonful of salt to half a pint of cream, and then stir in enough sifted flour to make a pastry sufficiently Fluted and Plain Patty-Cutters in Case. An illustration of fluted and plain patty-cutters in a case. Patties, First Stage. An illustration of patties in the first stage. Patties, Second Stage. An illustration of patties in the second stage. Dish of Fruit Patties. An illustration of a dish of fruit patties. stiff to roll out; handle this pastry as little as possible, and use it as soon as it is made. Sour cream may be used, a teaspoonful of saleratus being dissolved in each pint before it is mixed with the flour. LARD PIE-CRUST. Chop together in a bowl one pound of flour and half a pound of firm lard, cutting the lard in little flakes; add half a teaspoonful of salt to the flour, and sufficient cold water to make a soft paste; turn the paste out on a flour ed board and roll it half an inch thick; dust the paste with flour, and put a quarter of a pound of butter over it in small bits; roll the paste up, enclosing the butter completely, then roll and fold it several times, using flour enough to prevent sticking to the board or roller; then use it for pies or puddings. GOOD PLAIN PASTRY. The secret of success in making pastry is to work quickly in a cool room, and to keep the pastry as cold as possible. Even in making plain pastry, only the best flour and butter should be used; the flour should be freshly sifted, and the butter worked with the hands in plenty of ice-water until it assumes a waxy appearance and touch; if it is worked quickly and lightly, it will not stick to the hands; when the butter is of the proper consistency, it should be patted with the hands into a cake about an inch thick, wrapped in a flour ed towel, and put in a dish set on ice in summer, or out of doors in winter, so that it may become quite cold while the paste is being prepared; allow half a pound of butter to a pound of flour. After the flour is sifted, mix with it a teaspoonful of salt, and with a sharp knife chop into it one-third of the butter; then quickly mix with it enough ice-water to make a dough which does not stick to the hands; the mixing may be done with the knife or the hand, but it must be done quickly; next, lightly flour a smooth pastry-board or marble slab, lay the dough on it, and with a flour ed roller roll it out about half an inch thick; cut the rest of the butter in thick slices, and lay it upon the dough, with spaces of about an inch between the slices; dust flour lightly over the butter, and fold the paste over it in such a way as to completely enclose it; then gently roll it to the thickness of an inch, dust a little flour over it, fold it several times, and again roll it out; if the butter shows anywhere through the paste, put it in a flour ed towel, and cool it for about fifteen minutes; then roll it out, fold it, and roll it again two or three times, and use it for pies. If the pastry is cold and Pastry Pincers. An illustration of pastry pincers. the oven hot, the pie-crust will be good when baked. If the crust browns before the contents of the pie appear to be cooked, lay a piece of paper over it. In handling pastry, take care not to press or heat it by letting the hands rest on it; in forming the crimped edge upon an open pie, use such pastry-pincers as are shown in the picture of that implement, or press the scallops with a knife, rather than the fingers. CHRISTMAS MINCE-MEAT. The following recipe for mince-meat has been printed by the author several times; but she ventures to repeat it, because it has always given satisfaction. In common with the recipe for Christmas plum-pudding , she has taught it for years, and sees no reason for changing it. Use equal parts of boiled beef and tongue. If the tongue is hard and dry, soak it over night in plenty of cold water; in the morning put it over the fire in a large pot nearly full of cold water, and let the water gradually reach the boiling-point; when the water begins to boil, pour it off, and replace it with fresh cold water; again heat the water, with the tongue in it, to the boiling-point, and boil it steadily and slowly for one hour. At the end of an hour put in with the tongue three pounds of lean beef cut from the neck or round, add a tablespoonful of salt to the pot-liquor, and continue the boiling by a very gentle heat for three hours longer; then uncover the pot, set it off the fire, take out the tongue and skin it, and then return it to the pot, and let both tongue and beef cool in the pot-liquor. When the tongue and beef are cold, free the beef from all skin and gristle, and chop it fine. Cut off from the tongue the fleshy parts about the roots, rejecting the gristle, and add to them enough of the trimmings from the tongue to make two pounds; chop this fine, and put it with the beef. Remove all membrane from three pounds of fresh beef-suet, chop it fine, and add it to the chopped beef and tongue. Next add to the meat and suet the following named ingredients: Four pounds of chopped tart apples, weighed after they are pared and cored; four pounds of raisins stoned and chopped, not too fine; two pounds of currants, picked over, well washed, and then rubbed dry in a clean towel, and sifted to free them from stems; one pound of citron cut in small, thin slices; a quarter of a pound each of candied orange and lemon peel, sliced thin; one pound of sweet almonds, and two ounces of bitter almonds, weighed after the shells are removed; blanch the almonds by pouring boiling water over them after they are shelled, and then rubbing the skin off with a clean towel, and chop them, not too fine; add the grated yellow rind and juice of four lemons and four oranges. Sweeten the mince-meat with four pounds of coffee-sugar; season it with two level tablespoonfuls of salt, one level teaspoonful each of pepper, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and mace, and two medium-sized nutmegs grated. Next add to the mince-meat one quart of Madeira wine, half a pint of good brandy, and sufficient sweet cider to moisten it. Mix the mince-meat thoroughly, taste it, and add, if required, more sugar, salt, and spice; remember that in good mince- meat no one flavor should predominate; it should have a rich, even taste. Mix it thoroughly, and let it stand at least one day before using it. Mince-meat carefully made after this recipe will keep all winter, if covered and placed where it is cool. PLAIN MINCE-MEAT. Use two pounds of lean beef from the neck or shoulder; boil it gently until it is tender, putting it over the fire in boiling water enough to cover it; when it is quite tender, cool and chop it. Prepare the following named ingredients, and add them to the meat : one pound each of suet, raisins, and currants; a quarter of a pound of citron, four pounds of apples, two pounds of sugar, two nutmegs, two level tablespoonfuls of salt; one teaspoonful each of pepper, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and mace; one tablespoonful of essence of lemon; half a pint each of wine and molasses; one quart of sweet cider; one gill of brandy. Moisten the mince-meat with some of the pot-liquor in which the beef was boiled, adding to it the fat which forms on the top of the cold pot-liquor. Make the seasoning of the mince-meat palatable, and keep it over a day before using it. This recipe has been printed before, like the preceding one; but it would not be well to omit it on that account. FRUIT MINCE-PIES. This mince will keep for several weeks in cold weather, and makes a good variation from the usual mince-meat. Pick over, wash, and rub dry on a towel, a pound of dried currants; slice two ounces of citron, seed one pound of raisins; remove all skin and membrane from a pound of beef-suet, and chop it quite fine; pare and core apples enough to weigh two pounds, and chop them fine; grate the rind and squeeze the juice of one lemon and one orange; mix all these ingredients thoroughly; add to them a pound of sugar, a gill of brandy, two gills of good port, and salt, ground mace, cinnamon, and cloves to taste; more sugar may be required. If all this mince is not used, pack it tightly in glass jars, lay a round of paper dipped in brandy in each jar, and close the jars air-tight until it is needed for use. APPLE AND PIE-PLANT PIE. Use equal quantities of tart apples and pie-plant, or garden rhubarb, and a good pastry, for which many recipes have been given; peel and slice the fruit; heap it in a deep earthen pie-dish, cover it thickly with sugar, and wet the edges of the dish; roll the pastry about a quarter of an inch thick, cover the pie with it, being careful not to press the edges of the pastry; cut two or three little slits in the pastry, and then bake the pie for three-quarters of an hour in a moderate oven, or until the fruit is done. Sift powdered sugar over the pie, and use it hot or cold. RHUBARB-PIE, NEW-ENGLAND STYLE. Make a good pastry, for which directions have already been given. Peel some garden rhubarb, or pie-plant, and cut it in small pieces; after lining the pie-plates with pastry, fill them with layers of rhubarb and sugar, and if a lemon is available use the grated yellow rind for flavoring; cover the pie, wetting the edges of the pastry to make them adhere; make several cuts in the top crust, and bake the pie in a moderate oven until both top and bottom crust are nicely browned; if the bottom of the pie cooks faster than the top, put a second plate under it when it is quite brown; if the top browns before the bottom is done, cover it with brown paper. Dust the top crust with powdered sugar after the pie is done, and use it either hot or cold. CHERRY-TART. Make a pastry according to directions already given, or as follows: Lay half a pound of butter in a bowl of very cold water, and work it for five minutes with the hands, touching it very quickly and lightly, so that it may be quite smooth and yet firm; then wrap it in a cloth dusted with flour, lay it on a plate, and place it in the refrigerator or in an equally cool place. Put a pound of flour in a bowl with a level teaspoonful of salt, add to it the yolk of an egg, and sufficient very cold water to mix it to a medium soft paste; work quickly and very lightly, and then roll the paste out about as large as a dinner-plate; cut the butter in rather thick slices, lay them irregularly about on the paste, dust it with dry flour, and fold the paste in such a way as to enclose the butter; roll the paste out two or three times very quickly and lightly, and then use it at once, or, if it is to be kept any time, wrap it in a flour ed cloth, lay it on a plate, and set in a refrigerator or a very cold place. Stem and stone plenty of cherries. Use rather deep pie-plates or earthen dishes; line them down the sides with strips of pastry, or use an under-crust, as is preferred. Be very careful not to press the cut edges of the pastry; heap the fruit high in the dishes, and sprinkle over it sufficient sugar to sweeten it; lay a top crust lightly on the fruit, as shown in the accompanying picture, after slightly wetting the under crust near the edge, to make it adhere, still without crushing down or pressing the edges of the crust, because that would make it heavy and sodden; about half an inch within the edge of the upper crust lay the forefinger, curved in such a way as to form a groove by slightly pressing it down; cut four or five places diagonally across the groove, so that the fruit-juice may boil out into the groove, instead of escaping from the dish; remember to touch the crust always lightly and Large Fruit Tart. An illustration of a large fruit tart. delicately, so that it may be tender and crisp; brush the crust with beaten egg, and then bake the pie in a rather hot oven until nicely browned. Use it either hot, or let it cool, and then dust it with powdered sugar. Whipped cream, for which a recipe is given elsewhere, is very good with this, as with any fruit pie. RASPBERRY-PIE. Made a pastry according to the directions already given, and line a deep pie-plate with it; remove the stems from a pint of raspberries and a pint of currants, and put them into the pie-plate; sprinkle a cupful of sugar over the fruit, and then cover it with pastry, wetting the edges of the crusts to make them adhere; cut two or three slits in the upper crust, brush it with beaten egg, and bake the pie in a moderate oven. When it is done, dust it with sugar. GOOSEBERRY-TART. Pick over a quart of green gooseberries, removing the tops and stems; wash them in cold water, and drain them. Make a nice pastry, and line a deep earthen pie-dish about an inch down the sides; then put in the gooseberries, mixed with half a cupful of seedless raisins, and a pound of sugar; cover the tart, wetting the edges of the pastry to make them adhere; press the finger, slightly curved, all around the top of the tart, just inside the edge of the crust, to form a groove; in this groove make three or four cuts with a small, sharp knife, and then bake the tart until the crust is nicely browned. Serve it hot or cold, with plenty of powdered sugar. Whipped cream made as directed elsewhere is a delicious accompaniment for gooseberry tart. FOREST-CITY LEMON-PIE. Make a good pastry, and line a deep plate with it. Mix together the following named ingredients: the grated rind and juice of two lemons, one cupful of raisins seeded and chopped fine, half a cupful of cracker -dust, a cupful of boiling water, and a cupful and a half of sugar; stir all these ingredients in a saucepan over the fire until they boil, and then fill the plate with them; put an upper crust on the pie, wetting the edges to make it adhere; brush the crust with beaten egg, make two or three little cuts in it, and bake it in a moderate oven until it is nicely browned. SWEET-POTATO PIE, PHILADELPHIA STYLE. Make a nice pastry according to directions already given, and line earthen pie-plates with it. Boil, peel, and mash sweet potatoes; to each pint of potato-pulp add one quart of milk, two tablespoonfuls of butter melted, four eggs well beaten, a level teaspoonful each of salt and ground cinnamon, and sugar enough to suit the taste; put this mixture into the pie-plates, and bake the pies light brown in a moderate oven. Use them hot or cold. SQUASH-PIE. Peel a Hubbard squash, cut it in pieces about two inches square, remove the seeds without taking away any of the substance of the squash, and put it to steam in a colander closely covered and set over a pot of boiling water; or place it in a porcelain-lined saucepan without water, and set it over a gentle fire where it will soften slowly without burning, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning; or boil it until tender, in sufficient water to cover it. When the squash is tender, drain it until it is quite free from water, and rub it through a seive or a fine colander with a wooden spoon or a potato-masher. Mix one quart of the squash so prepared with one quart of milk, four eggs well beaten, one tablespoonful of mixed ground cinnamon, mace, and ginger, one teaspoonful of salt and one cupful of sugar, and use it to fill two large pie-plates lined with a good plain pastry. Do not cover the pies with pastry, but grate a little nutmeg over the top, or sprinkle over them the grated yellow rind of a lemon. PUMPKIN-PIE. Prepare the pumpkin by boiling and mashing it as directed for the preparation of squash for pies, and after that finish it as follows: to a pint of mashed pumpkin add a pint of milk, six eggs beaten smooth, quarter of a pound of sugar, a tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, and a teaspoonful of salt. Or, to each pint of mashed pumpkin add a quart of milk, six eggs beaten smooth, a cupful of sugar, a teaspoonful of salt, a heaping tablespoonful of mixed ground spices, and two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter melted by gentle heat. PEACH TARTS. Line patty-pans with puff-paste, as directed in the recipe for pineapple tarts; and when they are done, put half a preserved peach in each one, with a little whipped cream, as shown in the accompanying engraving. Dish of Fruit Tarts. An illustration of a dish of fruit tarts. PINEAPPLE TARTS. Make a puff-paste according to the directions already given. Remove the crown of a ripe pineapple, cut the fruit in quarters, cut out the core, and grate the fruit down to the rind; mix with the grated pineapple half its weight of powdered sugar, and put it in a cool place for an hour, together with the pastry; then put the pineapple and sugar over the fire in a porcelain kettle, and simmer them gently until they are tender. While the pineapple is being cooked, line some patty-pans with the pastry, and bake the tart-shells so made; fill the tart-shells with the stewed pineapple; use the tarts hot or cold. BAKED APPLE DUMPLINGS. Make the pastry according to the directions already given; cut it in squares large enough to fold over the apples; peel and core sound apples of medium size and tart flavor, put one in the centre of each piece of pastry, fill the apples with Apple and Pear Dumplings. An illustration of apple and pear dumplings. sugar and half a saltspoonful of powdered cinnamon, and fold the pastry up over each apple lightly, wetting the tips of the corners and pressing them lightly together; arrange the dumplings in a baking-pan; brush them with beaten egg, and bake them for about half an hour, or until they are done, in a moderate oven. Serve them hot or cold with powdered sugar and cream, or with either of the sauces for which recipes are given elsewhere. Or, in covering the apple with pastry, enclose it in the manner shown in the accompanying picture. PEAR DUMPLINGS. Make a good pastry, and cut it in pieces large enough to enclose a medium-size pear; peel the pears, leaving them whole, and keeping the stem intact; enclose them in pastry as shown in the accompanying engraving, brush them with beaten egg, and bake them in a moderate oven; use the dumplings hot or cold, with powdered sugar or sauce. FRESH APPLE PAN-DOWDY. Butter a deep brown earthen pudding-dish; peel and slice apples enough to fill it; for a two-quart dish, use a teaspoonful each of powdered cinnamon and salt, half a pound of brown sugar, half a pint of cider, or the same quantity of water; mix the spice and sugar among the apples, and pour the cider over them; then make a plain pastry according to directions already given; put the pastry over the apples, place the pan-dowdy in a moderate oven, and bake it slowly for about three hours, taking care that the crust does not burn. The pan-dowdy may be eaten either hot or cold, with sugar, or sugar and cream. DRIED APPLE PAN-DOWDY. Wash a quart of dried apples; soak them over night in cold water; the next day, stew them soft in the water in which they were soaked, with a cupful of brown sugar and a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon or cloves. Put the stewed apples into a large earthen baking-dish, lay on them a tablespoonful of butter, and cover them with half an inch of pie-crust. Bake the pan-dowdy in a moderate oven for about half an hour, or until the crust is done; then break the crust down into the apple with a spoon, and use the dish hot or cold. HOT AND COLD BREADS, FRITTERS AND GRIDDLE-CAKES. The variety of hot and cold breads is very great; only specimens of different kinds can be given here, for there are enough to fill a large volume of American breads alone. Many breakfast and luncheon breads are included in this chapter. The dinner bread proper is a rather thick slice, or square piece, of white bread laid upon the napkin. French dinner bread is baked in a long roll so that there shall be plenty of crust. Of the fried cakes, only the fritters are suitable for dinners; they are in place among the entrÉes, but often take the place of dessert at informal family dinners. The waffles are special breakfast and supper cakes, and the griddle-cakes are generally used at breakfast. HOME-MADE BREAD. These two bread recipes, like several others in this volume, are reproduced from the author's Baltimore Recipes, because the formulas have stood the test of several years' trial in the school of cookery. Two methods are given, with personal preference for the compressed-yeast bread, because it is the quickest, and best preserves the nutriment of the flour. To make yeast, boil two ounces of hops in two quarts of water for half an hour; strain the liquid, and cool it until it is only lukewarm, then add half a pound of brown sugar, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and one pound of flour; let this leaven ferment four days in a warm place, stirring it whenever it foams over the top of the jar in which it is placed; on the third day add to it three pounds of potatoes boiled and mashed; on the fourth day strain and bottle it, and keep it in a cool place. To make bread, put seven pounds of flour in a deep wooden bowl; in the centre of it put a tablespoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of sugar, a gill of yeast, and sufficient lukewarm water to make a soft dough (about three pints); mix these ingredients with the hands until they form a smooth, shining dough; if necessary, use a little extra flour, only enough to facilitate the working of the dough; flour the bowl on the bottom and sides, so that the bread will not stick to it, cover it with a thick towel folded several times, set it in a warm place protected from draughts, and let it rise over night. In the morning knead the dough fifteen minutes, divide it into four loaves, put them into flour ed baking-pans, cover them with a folded towel, and set them in a warm place to rise twice their height; when they are so risen, prick them at the sides with a fork, and bake them in a moderate oven until a knitting or trussing needle can be run into them without being made sticky. Be sure that they are well done, but do not let them burn. COMPRESSED-YEAST BREAD. When it is possible to obtain fresh compressed yeast, also called German yeast, an excellent bread can be made in about two hours and a half; the rapidity of the leavening or "raising" the dough is advantageous, because less of the nutritive elements of the flour are lost than by following the long process. For two loaves of bread, use three pounds of flour, about a quart of water, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and an ounce of fresh compressed yeast; dissolve the yeast in a pint of lukewarm water; stir into it sufficient flour to make a thick batter; cover the bowl containing the batter or sponge with a folded towel, and set it in a warm place to rise; if properly covered and heated, it will rise to a light foam in half an hour; then stir into it the salt dissolved in a little warm water, add the rest of the flour, and sufficient lukewarm water to make a dough stiff enough to knead; knead it five minutes, divide it into two loaves, put them in flour ed baking-pans, cover them with a folded towel, and set them in a warm place to rise twice their height; then bake them as directed in the preceding recipe. In raising the sponge, be sure that the heat is not sufficient to "scald" or harden it, as that will prevent fermentation; therefore do not place it where the hand cannot be held with comfort; keep it covered from draughts. If when it is light it has become at all soured, as it sometimes will in summer, stir into it, before adding the balance of the flour, a saltspoonful of baking- soda dissolved in a very little water. The dough made for home-made bread can be baked as raised biscuit by kneading in with it a little sugar and melted butter, or it can be boiled in soups and stews as raised dumplings. To test the heat of the oven, follow the method of Jules GouffÉ, the celebrated chef of the Paris Jockey Club: the "moderate oven" temperature is that degree of heat which will turn ordinary writing-paper dark yellow or buff, that is, the color of kindling-wood; put a sheet of paper in the oven, and close the door; if the paper blazes, the oven is too hot; arrange the dampers to lower the heat for ten minutes, then again test it with more paper; it may be necessary to try the temperature several times, but the time thus used is well spent. BREAKFAST ROLLS. In the middle of the afternoon bake two large white potatoes , and mash them perfectly smooth before they cool; add to the mashed potato two tablespoonfuls of white sugar and a cupful each of flour and lukewarm water, and beat the mixture for five minutes, or until it foams; meantime dissolve half a small cake of compressed yeast in a gill of lukewarm water, and add it to the sponge when it foams, or use instead a gill of home-made yeast; cover the bowl containing the sponge with a thick towel folded several times, and set it where no draught of air can strike it. Just before bed-time put the sponge into a bread mixing-bowl with four quarts of sifted flour, a level tablespoonful of salt, a small cupful of sugar, and four tablespoonfuls of lard or butter chopped or rubbed into the flour; add enough lukewarm water to make a dough stiff enough to knead, and knead it for half an hour, using flour enough to prevent the dough sticking to the hands or the board. When the dough is smooth and shining, put it into a buttered bowl or pan large enough for it to double its volume in rising; butter the top of the dough, cover the bowl with a folded towel, and set it in a place free from draughts in summer, and in cold weather near enough to the fire to prevent any chilling of the dough. Two hours before breakfast the next morning, knead the dough again for five minutes; form some of it in little rolls, and the rest in loaves; put them in buttered baking-pans, brush the surfaces with milk or a little butter, cover them with a folded towel, put the pans where they will be shielded from draughts, and where the temperature will be about 98° F.; let them rise until they are double their size, and then bake them; the rolls will be all the better if there is time for them to rise to more than twice the original size before they are put into the oven, because the heat penetrates them so quickly that there is very little chance for the expansion to continue; the larger volume of loaves of dough excludes the heat longer, and they rise after they are put into the oven; the rolls should be put into a hot oven, and baked for about fifteen or twenty minutes; less heat is required for baking bread, and before the loaf is taken from the oven a sharp small knife or a bright steel needle should be run into the middle of the loaf, to make sure that it is thoroughly cooked; if there is the slightest particle of moisture on the steel when it is withdrawn from the bread, the baking should be continued. POTATO ROLLS. Use a pint of mashed potato mixed with a pint of lukewarm milk in which quarter of a pound of lard or butter has been melted; dissolve also in the milk half an ounce of compressed yeast and a teaspoonful of salt; add to these ingredients enough flour to make a batter thick enough to hold for a moment a drop let fall from the mixing-spoon; cover this batter in an earthen bowl to prevent chilling by draughts, and place it in a moderately warm place until it is light and foaming; the length of time required for rising will depend upon the temperature of the room; if the heat is too great, the fermentation cannot take place properly, and the rising will be checked; the bowl, therefore, should not be put where the hand cannot be borne with comfort, for the heat will be too great. When the sponge is light, mix with it enough more flour to make the dough stiff enough to knead without sticking to the hands or the pastry-board; knead the dough for five minutes, roll it out about half an inch thick, cut it out in rounds with the biscuit-cutter, lay two together and put them upon a buttered baking-pan, cover again with a folded towel, and let them rise again to twice their height; when the rolls are light, brush them with melted butter, and bake them in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes, or until they are done, then serve them hot. Mashed sweet potatoes may be similarly used. PARKER-HOUSE ROLLS. Put two quarts of flour into a deep bowl or pan; make a hollow in the middle of the flour, and put in the following ingredients without mixing them, and in the order in which they are named: one tablespoonful of sugar, one of butter broken in small pieces, one pint of cold scalded milk, and half a pint of yeast; cover the pan with a folded towel, and place it in a cool part of the kitchen; this being done in the evening, the dough will be risen in the morning; then add to it a level teaspoonful of salt dissolved in a little warm water, mix all the ingredients, knead the dough for fifteen minutes, then return it to the pan, cover it with the cloth, and let it rise again for six hours; then again knead the dough for two or three minutes, roll it out evenly about half an inch thick, and cut it with a smooth biscuit-cutter; put a small piece of butter on one side of each round of dough, and double them; put the rolls in a buttered baking-pan, cover them with a folded cloth, set the pan in a moderately warm place, and let the rolls rise for half an hour; then bake them in a quick oven for about fifteen minutes, and serve them hot. ASTOR-HOUSE ROLLS. Put two quarts of sifted flour into a deep bowl, make a hollow in the centre, and put into it the following ingredients: a pint of lukewarm milk with a tablespoonful of butter dissolved in it, a level teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of sugar, and two gills of yeast; with the hand mix with these ingredients enough of the flour to form a smooth thin batter; cover the bowl with a folded cloth, and put it in a warm place until the batter is light and foamy; then mix in the rest of the flour, knead the dough for five minutes, cover it again, and let it stand until it is twice its original size; when the dough is light, roll and shape it, and bake the rolls as directed in the recipe for Parker-House rolls. BAKING-POWDER BISCUIT. Sift together a quart of flour, a level teaspoonful of salt, and two heaping teaspoonfuls of any good baking-powder; see that the oven is of the proper temperature, as indicated in the recipe for compressed- yeast bread, and butter the baking-pan; rub or chop two tablespoonfuls of lard or butter into the flour; quickly mix it to as soft a dough as can be easily rolled out, with about a pint of cold water; roll out the dough on a flour ed pastry-board, cut out the biscuit with a flour ed biscuit-cutter, and lay them in the buttered baking-pan; brush the biscuit with milk, or a teaspoonful of sugar dissolved in a little cold water, and bake them as directed in the preceding recipes. BUTTERMILK BISCUIT. Sift a quart of flour with a heaping teaspoonful of soda, and a level teaspoonful of salt; rub into the flour a heaping teaspoonful of lard; butter or flour a baking-pan, and see that the oven is quite hot; then quickly mix with the prepared flour a pint of buttermilk, shape the biscuit, and bake them in a hot oven. BEATEN BISCUIT. Rub a tablespoonful each of butter and lard in a quart of sifted flour, add a level teaspoonful of salt, and then with the hands mix in sufficient milk to form a rather stiff dough; flour the moulding-board, put the dough on it, flour the roller, and beat the dough out flat with it; fold it repeatedly, and beat it flat again until it blisters and cracks; when the little blisters or air-bubbles are abundant, which will be in about a half-hour, tear off pieces of the dough as large as an egg, mould them in the hands to the size of a small biscuit, prick each one on top with a fork, place them in buttered or flour ed baking-pans, and bake light brown in a moderate oven. RAISED BISCUIT. Heat a pint of milk to melt a heaping tablespoonful of butter, and then cool it until it is lukewarm; beat an egg smoothly, add to it a level teaspoonful of salt, a gill of good yeast, a quart of flour, and the lukewarm milk; cover the bowl or pan containing this sponge with a folded towel, and let it stand over night in a place warm enough to insure its rising properly; the next morning knead the dough gently for five minutes, using enough flour to prevent its sticking to the hands; make it up in small biscuit, put them into a buttered baking-pan, cover them with a folded towel, and put the pan in a warm place for half an hour, or until the biscuit have swollen to twice their original size; do not put the pan where it is too hot to hold the hand; when the biscuit are light, brush them over the surface with a little sugar dissolved in milk, or with melted butter, and then baked them brown in a quick oven, and serve them hot. GRAHAM GEMS AND BISCUIT. Mix a quart of Graham flour to a thick batter with cold water, add a teaspoonful of salt, and beat the batter until it is full of air-bubbles, then bake it at once in buttered gem-pans. The operation must be very quickly accomplished to be successful. Graham biscuit are made like wheat biscuit, substituting Graham for wheat flour. RAISED GRAHAM BISCUIT. In the evening mix together one cupful of wheat flour, three cupfuls of Graham flour, three tablespoonfuls each of yeast and molasses, and two cupfuls of warm water; cover the sponge with a folded towel, and set it in a warm place to rise over night. The next morning put the sponge into small buttered tins, or use just enough flour to make it up into biscuit, which lay in a buttered baking-pan, and bake them in a moderate oven. HUCKLEBERRY BISCUIT. Pick over a quart of berries, and roll them in dry flour; see that the oven is hot, and butter a dripping-pan; sift together one quart of flour and two teaspoonfuls each of salt and baking-powder; rub a quarter of a pound of butter into the flour in rather large flakes; then put in the berries, and quickly stir in enough milk to form a soft dough; drop the dough on the buttered pan with a tablespoon wet in cold milk, and put the biscuit at once into the oven; bake from fifteen to twenty-five minutes, until the biscuit are done. Serve the biscuit hot, with plenty of butter. SOUR-CREAM BISCUIT. Sift together a quart of flour, a level teaspoonful of salt and two of baking-soda; butter or flour a pan, and see that the oven is hot; then quickly mix with the flour a cupful each of buttermilk and sour cream; shape the biscuit quickly, and bake them at once in a hot oven. Sour milk may be used instead of the cream. SHORTCAKES. Make the dough for the shortcakes as directed for baking-powder biscuit, using milk instead of water for mixing the dough, if it is preferred. When the dough is mixed, bake it on two buttered tin plates. Have ready whatever fruit, fresh or canned, is to be used for the shortcakes, and some powdered sugar; split the shortcakes, butter them, lay the fruit upon the inner side, and then lay the two sides of each cake one upon the other, and serve the shortcakes. If the fruit is acid, use the powdered sugar liberally. Fresh or canned berries, peaches, pears, apricots, or plums make good shortcakes; when canned fruit is used, its sirup can be sweetened for a sauce, or the shortcakes can be served with cream. RAISED SHORTCAKE. Put in a large earthen bowl three cupfuls of light bread-dough , made as directed in either of the recipes for home-made bread; add to the dough three raw eggs beaten for two minutes, with three tablespoonfuls of sugar and three tablespoonfuls of butter softened with a gentle heat before mixing them with the eggs and sugar; knead all of these ingredients together with the hand until the dough is soft and smooth; then put it into buttered baking-pans, cover the pans with a folded towel, and set them near the stove where a gentle heat will strike them, to rise for fifteen minutes; then bake the shortcakes in a moderate oven until a sharp small knife or fork thrust into the shortcakes does not show any sign of moisture. When the shortcakes are baked, tear them open, first breaking the edges apart with a fork, butter them, put fruit or preserves over them, with sugar to taste, and serve them either hot or cold. EGG CORN-BREAD. Chop a quarter of a pound of butter with one quart of Indian meal, add a heaping teaspoonful of salt, and the yolks of four eggs, and stir in gradually a quart of cold milk; beat the mixture until it forms a smooth batter; butter the pan in which the bread is to be baked; beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth, stir them into the batter lightly and quickly, put it into the buttered pan, and bake the bread in a moderate oven for half an hour, or until a broom-straw run into the thickest part of the loaf can be withdrawn clean. The bread can be used either hot or cold. The same batter can be baked in smaller buttered pans or in buttered earthen cups. NEW-ENGLAND CORN-BREAD. Sift together one cupful of Indian meal, half a cupful of flour, half a teaspoonful of salt, and three teaspoonfuls of baking-powder; mix with these ingredients half a cupful each of butter and flour beaten to a cream, four eggs beaten for two minutes, and one pint of milk; put the bread into an iron pan well buttered, and bake it for about twenty minutes, or until it is nicely browned; then serve it hot at once. NEW-ENGLAND BROWN-BREAD. Sift together two cupfuls each of rye and Indian meal; add a teaspoonful of salt, two-thirds of a cupful each of molasses and boiled squash, and two teapsoonfuls of soda dissolved in a very little cold water; last of all, mix in enough sour milk to make a batter thin enough to pour; put the batter into a buttered tin pan or mould, and steam it for three hours; then bake it for two hours longer. GRAHAM AND INDIAN BREAD. Sift together one pint each of Indian meal and Graham flour, and a heaping teaspoonful of salt; mix with them a pint of sour milk and a scant half-pint of molasses in which a heaping teaspoonful of saleratus is dissolved; when all these ingredients are thoroughly mixed, pour them into a buttered brown-bread mould, or a buttered tin pail, which can be tightly covered, and steam the bread for two hours; the mould or pail, closely covered, may be set in a covered saucepan containing enough boiling water to reach two-thirds up the sides of the tin, if a regular steamer is not available; after the bread has been steamed for two hours, remove the cover from the mould, and bake the bread in a hot oven until a crust is formed; use it either hot or cold. RAISED GRAHAM BREAD. Sift together one pint of wheat flour, one quart of Graham flour, and two tablespoonfuls of salt; add to them half a cupful each of molasses and liquid yeast, or an ounce of compressed yeast dissolved in half a cupful of warm water; then stir in enough warm water or milk to make a batter thick enough to hold a drop let fall from the mixing-spoon, and cover the bowl containing this sponge with a folded towel, keeping it in a moderately warm place until it is light and foaming; when the sponge is quite light, stir in as much more Graham flour as can be readily mixed in with a spoon, and put the dough into well-buttered baking-pans; cover the pans with a folded towel, put them where the dough will be kept warm, - in some place not too hot to rest the hand for a minute without burning it, - and let them stand until the dough has risen to double its original volume; then put the bread into a moderate oven, and bake it for an hour and a half, taking care that it does not burn. RAISED SWEET-POTATO BREAD. Boil, peel, and mash sweet potatoes enough to yield a quart of pulp after they are mashed; to a quart of mashed sweet potatoes add a pint of milk in which has been dissolved half an ounce of compressed yeast, and two teaspoonfuls each of salt and sugar, together with a pint of boiling water, and just enough flour to make a thick batter; put this batter in a warm place near the fire to rise until it is double its first quantity, keeping it covered with a thick towel folded several times. When the batter has risen to twice its original bulk, mix with it enough more flour to make a soft dough; knead it for five minutes, then put it into three buttered iron pans, filling each half full, and again cover it, and let it rise to double its size; then bake the loaves in a moderate oven until they are quite done. Use the bread hot or cold. SWEET-POTATO PONE. Peel and grate sweet potatoes enough to fill a quart bowl, working very quickly, so that they may not become discolored; mix with the grated potato half a pint of sweet milk, three tablespoonfuls of powdered ginger, and half a pound of butter beaten to a cream with half a pound of sugar; if oranges are in season, add the grated rind and juice of one; pour the batter thus made into a buttered pan, and bake the pone in a moderate oven for about an hour, or until the potato is quite done. WHEAT MUFFINS. Butter a dozen earthen cups, and arrange them in a dripping-pan. Mix to a smooth batter two cupfuls of flour and three of milk; beat four eggs to a light froth; then beat the eggs with the batter, and half fill the cups with it; bake them at once in a very hot oven for about twenty minutes, or until they are nicely browned all over. Serve the muffins hot. RAISED MUFFINS. For one quart of flour use half a gill of liquid yeast, or half a small cake of compressed yeast dissolved in half a cupful of lukewarm water; mix with the flour a teaspoonful of salt, the yeast, and cold water enough to make a soft dough; mix the water, yeast, and flour with the hands; and when the dough is as soft as it can be handled, cover the bowl containing it with a folded towel, set it in a moderately warm room, and let it rise over night. The next morning heat a griddle moderately hot, - that is, just hot enough to color dry flour, which must be sifted on it; then beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth, beat it with the dough, and at once bake the muffins on the flour ed griddle in large tin rings, slightly buttered. These muffins are used hot for breakfast, or toasted on the outside for supper. RYE MUFFINS. Sift together one pint of rye meal, one pint of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, two teaspoonfuls of salt, two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, and one tablespoonful of sugar; melt one tablespoonful of butter, and add it to these ingredients; next beat two eggs for two minutes, and add them, together with a scant pint of milk, using just enough milk to make a batter stiff enough to hold a drop from the mixing-spoon. Put the batter into buttered muffin-rings set in a buttered baking-pan, and bake them in a quick oven for about fifteen minutes, or until they are well done. POP-OVERS. Mix to a smooth batter two cups each of flour and milk, two raw yolks of egg, and a level teaspoonful of salt; butter six earthen cups, and place them in a pan in the oven to heat; see that the oven is hot; last of all, beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth, mix them quickly with the other ingredients, put the batter at once into the hot buttered cups, set them in a hot oven, and bake the pop-overs until they rise well, and are brown at the sides where they part from the cups. Serve the pop-overs as soon as they are baked. By using maple-sirup, or a good sweet sauce, the pop-overs may be served at the dessert. As a breakfast-dish they are eaten with butter. EGG-PUFFS. Soften a tablespoonful of butter to a creamy consistency by working it with a fork; beat three eggs to a froth, and add them to the butter; add also a level teaspoonful of salt, and six tablespoonfuls of flour; beat all these ingredients together until they foam, then put them into buttered earthen cups or small tin pans, and bake them in a hot oven for about half an hour, or until they are cooked through and nicely browned. Serve them hot for breakfast or luncheon. RAISED WAFFLES. At night mix together one pint of lukewarm milk, in which two tablespoonfuls of butter have been melted, two tablespoonfuls of liquid yeast, or half a small cake of compressed yeast dissolved in a gill of water, two eggs well beaten, a teaspoonful of salt, and a pound of flour; when this batter is thoroughly mixed, cover it, and keep it over night in a warm place; in the morning heat a waffle-iron, butter it, put in the batter without stirring it down, and then bake the waffles; serve them with butter and powdered sugar. SWEET-POTATO WAFFLES. Mix to a smooth batter half a cupful of sweet potato boiled and mashed, four tablespoonfuls of flour, one each of butter and sugar, one saltspoonful of salt, and a pint of milk; bake the batter at once in a hot waffle-iron. Or, if no iron is available, the batter may be baked on a griddle, in the form of cakes. CORN WAFFLES. Put in an earthen bowl a cupful and a half of corn-meal, a teaspoonful of salt, a dessertspoonful each of lard and butter, and pour in a pint of boiling milk; beat this mixture smooth, let it cool until lukewarm, then add two eggs well beaten, and bake the waffles at once in a hot buttered iron. RICE WAFFLES. Mix one pint of soft-boiled rice with one pint of milk over the fire, stirring them until they are hot; then take them from the fire, beat the yolks of four eggs smoothly with a pint of cold milk, and add them to the rice, together with a teaspoonful of salt, and sufficient flour to make a batter just stiff enough to hold for an instant a drop from the mixing-spoon. Then beat four whites to a stiff froth, stir them lightly into the batter, and bake it at once in a hot buttered waffle-iron. Serve the waffles hot, with powdered sugar dusted over them. RAISED RICE WAFFLES. Following the method given in the recipe for raised waffles, mix the following named ingredients at night, and bake in the morning: One pint each of boiled rice and flour, two beaten eggs, two tablespoonfuls of yeast or half a small cake of compressed yeast, a teaspoonful of salt, and two tablespoonfuls of butter melted in a pint of warm milk. RICE PANCAKES. Have ready a pint of rice, boiled quite soft; sift together a pint of flour, and one teaspoonful each of baking-powder and salt; beat three eggs, and mix them with a pint of milk; before putting these ingredients together, see that the griddle is hot; then mix the pancakes, and begin to bake them at once; if the first ones seem too stiff, add a little more milk to the pancake batter; serve the pancakes hot, as fast as they are baked. FRIED RICE. Boil the rice as directed in the recipe for boiled rice, and cool it in a dish; when it is cold turn it from the dish, cut it in slices nearly an inch thick, season the slices with pepper and salt, and roll them in Indian meal; have ready a frying-kettle half full of smoking-hot fat, and fry the slices of rice in it until they are golden brown; when the rice is done, take it from the fat with a skimmer, put it on brown paper for a moment to free it from grease, and then serve it hot. FRIED BREAD. Have ready over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat; cut slices of bread about half an inch thick in squares, triangles, or heart-shaped pieces, and when the fat is smoking hot put in the bread and fry it golden brown; take it from the fat with a skimmer when it is brown, lay it on brown paper to free it from grease, and then use it for garnishing. Fry small dice of bread in this way to serve in soups. FRITTER BATTER. To make a batter which can be used for any fritters, put a cupful of flour into a bowl with the yolk of a raw egg, a level teaspoonful of salt, and a tablespoonful of good olive-oil; mix these ingredients smoothly together, then gradually stir in enough water to make a batter thick enough to hold a drop let fall from the mixing-spoon; beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth, mix it lightly with the batter. ORANGE FRITTERS. Peel and slice two or three oranges about a quarter of an inch thick, and remove the seeds, taking care not to break the slices or squeeze out the juice; put a frying-kettle over the fire, with enough fat to half fill it, and let the fat get smoking hot. Put two or three slices of oranges in the batter, and when the fat begins to smoke lift them from the batter with a fork, drop them into the hot fat, and fry them golden brown; take the fritters out of the fat with a skimmer, lay them for a moment on brown paper to free them from grease, and then dust them with powdered sugar, and serve them hot. PINEAPPLE FRITTERS. Pare and grate a ripe pineapple, saving all the juice; put with the grated fruit and juice two cupfuls of flour, the yolk of a raw egg, a saltspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of melted butter, and sufficient cold water to make a batter thick enough to sustain a drop from the mixing-spoon for a moment upon its surface. Have ready over the fire a frying-kettle half full of fat, and when it begins to smoke quickly beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth, stir it into the batter, drop the batter by the tablespoonful into the hot fat, and fry the fritters until they are golden brown; then take them from the hot fat with a skimmer, and lay them for a moment on brown paper to free them from grease; then arrange them neatly on a china dish, dust them with powdered sugar, and serve them. If the pineapple-fritters are prepared large, the fruit may be sliced thin, dipped in a batter made as directed above, and then fried and served in the same way. Preserved pineapple may be used for fritters and tarts. OLD-FASHIONED DOUGHNUTS. Beat three eggs in a large bowl for five minutes; stir into them one cupful of granulated sugar, one level teaspoonful of salt, one pint of sweet milk, and one-third of a nutmeg grated; sift together three times two cupfuls of flour and one level teaspoonful each of cream of tartar and saleratus; stir the flour quickly into the ingredients already mixed in the bowl. Just flour enough is required to make a dough only stiff enough to handle. If more than two cupfuls are needed, stir it into the dough, but remember to make it only stiff enough to roll out. Handle the dough very quickly and lightly, and as little as possible. As soon as it is mixed, turn it from the bowl on a flour ed pastry-board; dust a little flour over it; roll it out half an inch thick; cut it in rounds with a biscuit-cutter, or a thin cup or glass dipped in flour, and cut a small ball from the middle of each round with a small tin cutter or the top of a pepper-box dipped in flour. Have ready a frying-kettle half full of smoking-hot fat; put into it as many doughnuts as will float without pressing against each other, and fry them light brown; take them out of the fat with a skimmer, letting the fat drain from them. When all are fried, roll them in powdered sugar, and use them either hot or cold. NEW-ENGLAND FRIED-CAKES. In the morning, when home-made bread is being made, put about a pint bowlful of the light bread -dough on a flour ed pastry-board, and roll it out half an inch thick; use a sharp knife, dipped in flour, to cut it in rather long diamond-shaped pieces; throw a towel over the pieces, and let them stand near the stove to rise while the frying-kettle, half full of fat, is being heated. When the fat smokes, fry the bread-cakes as directed in the recipe for old-fashioned doughnuts, and serve them with sirup or molasses for breakfast. WHORTLEBERRY FRIED-CAKES. Sift a heaping teaspoonful of baking-powder and a saltspoonful of salt with two cupfuls of flour. Carefully pick over one quart of whortleberries. Beat three eggs for five minutes; stir into the beaten eggs two cupfuls of sugar and one pint of milk; then add the berries and the flour, mixing all the ingredients lightly and quickly. The mixture should form a stiff batter; if more flour is needed, add it. Fry the cakes by the tablespoonful in smoking-hot fat, as directed in the recipe for old-fashioned doughnuts; or fry them in a hot frying-pan, with just enough fat to prevent sticking to the pan. Use them buttered for tea or luncheon. CRULLERS WITH EGGS. Beat a quarter of a pound each of butter and sugar to a cream; mix with them the beaten yolks of three eggs; then quickly beat in twelve ounces, or three-quarters of a pound, of flour, a saltspoonful each of powdered cinnamon and grated nutmeg, and enough cold milk to form a stiff paste; last, beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth, stir them quickly and lightly into the cruller paste, roll it out half an inch thick, and then cut out the crullers with the wheel Pastry-Wheel. An illustration of a pastry- wheel. shown in the first engraving, making the crullers in different shapes, of which a number are given in the second picture. After the crullers are cut out, put them into plenty of smoking-hot fat to fry brown, as directed in the recipes for doughnuts. Use them either hot or cold. Crullers Cut with Pastry Wheel. An illustration of 6 different crullers cut with a pastry wheel. CRULLERS WITH BAKING-POWDER. Sift together one quart of flour, two heaping teaspoonfuls of any good baking-powder, a level teaspoonful of salt, and a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg; beat a tablespoonful of butter and a cupful of sugar to a cream; add to them one egg, and then quickly stir in the flour, and enough cold milk to make a paste stiff enough to roll out; cut the crullers in any shape preferred, and fry them in plenty of smoking-hot fat, as directed in the recipe for doughnuts; after they are fried, sift a little sugar over them. PAN-DODDLES. Sift together three cupfuls each of rye and Indian meal, a teaspoonful of salt, and a level saltspoonful of powdered allspice; stir into the meal after it is sifted one egg, three tablespoonfuls of molasses, and enough cold milk to make a soft dough which will drop easily from the mixing-spoon; do not use enough milk to make a batter, for that would not keep the shape in frying; have ready a frying-kettle half full of smoking-hot fat, and put the dough into the fat by the tablespoonful. Let the pan-doddles fry brown, like doughnuts, then take them out of the fat with a skimmer, lay them on brown paper for a moment to free them from grease, and serve them hot for breakfast or supper. INDIAN SLAP-JACKS. Pour over a pint of Indian meal enough hot milk to moisten it, and let it stand until it is cool; then add a level teaspoonful of salt, two eggs beaten to a froth, and sufficient cold milk to make a batter thick enough to keep its form on the griddle or frying-pan used for frying the slap-jacks; newly-fallen snow may be substituted for eggs, a tablespoonful for an egg; or in camp, where neither milk nor eggs are available, the same process may be followed by using water, and beating the batter steadily until enough air is beaten into it to make it foamy; it must be baked directly, or the air will escape, and the slap-jacks will be heavy. A well-kept soap-stone griddle does not need to be greased, but an ordinary pan does; use either butter, lard, or a piece of raw fat salt pork, to grease the pan; be careful that it is not hot enough to burn the cakes; put the batter on the pan by the large spoonful, and when the upper part of the slap-jack is full of holes and the under part brown, turn it; use with the slap-jacks sugar, molasses, butter, or salt-pork drippings. ARMY SLAP-JACKS. Dissolve two teaspoonfuls of salt in a pint of cold water; mix the water smoothly with a tablespoonful of flour, and beat the mixture until it foams; then mix into it enough flour to make a rather thin batter, like that prepared for buckwheat cakes. Fry the slap-jacks in a hot frying-pan, rubbed with a piece of raw fat salt pork or with a small piece of butter tied in a bit of clean cloth. If the frying-pan is not smooth, the cakes will stick to it; therefore clean it by washing and wiping it thoroughly, and then rubbing it hard with dry salt. BUCKWHEAT CAKES. Sift together a quart of buckwheat flour, a teaspoonful of salt and two of baking-powder; mix in enough milk or cold water to form a thick batter, and bake the cakes on a hot griddle as directed in the recipe for Indian slap-jacks. RAISED BUCKWHEAT CAKES. Mix the following ingredients to a smooth batter at night: one quart of buckwheat flour, one gill each of liquid yeast and molasses, a teaspoonful of salt, and enough lukewarm water to make a thick batter; put the batter into an earthen jar or pitcher, cover it with a folded towel, and let it stand in a warm place over night; the next morning, fry the cakes as directed in the recipe for Indian slap-jacks. If the batter is at all sour, stir into it a saltspoonful of baking-soda dissolved in a little warm water before cooking the cakes. INDIAN GRIDDLE-CAKES. Sift together one quart of yellow Indian meal, two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, and one teaspoonful of salt; melt two tablespoonfuls of butter in a pint and a half of milk over the fire, and as soon as the butter is melted stir in the meal gradually; after the meal has been stirred into the milk, let the mixture cool; when this batter is cold, beat four eggs to a froth, and then beat them into the batter, which should then be about the consistency of buckwheat-cake batter; have ready on the fire a hot griddle, slightly buttered or greased with fat salt pork, to prevent burning, and fry the cakes quickly; serve them hot, with butter and honey or molasses. SPIDER-CAKE. Sift a quart of flour with a teaspoonful each of salt and baking-soda, and two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar; or, in place of the soda and cream of tartar, use two heaping teaspoonfuls of any good baking-powder; chop a quarter of a pound of good butter into the flour, and then quickly make it into a dough stiff enough to mould with about a pint of milk or cold water; if sour milk is used, the baking-powder or cream of tartar should be omitted, and a heaping teaspoonful of baking-soda dissolved in the sour milk; have ready two old-fashioned iron spiders, or a large griddle, well buttered and placed over the fire; make the dough into two round cakes, put it in the buttered pans, and slowly brown the under side over a moderate fire; the spider-cake must be frequently lifted from the pan with a cake-turner or a broad-bladed knife to prevent burning, and butter enough must be used to keep it from sticking to the pan; when the under side is browned, turn the cake, and brown the other side; when the cake is done, split it, butter it, lay it together again, cut it in quarters, and serve it hot. HUCKLEBERRY SPIDER-CAKE. Pick over a quart of huckleberries, wash them in cold water, drain them quite dry, and dust them with flour; sift together one pound of flour, one teaspoonful of salt and two of baking-powder; into the flour chop a quarter of a pound of butter, and add the berries; see that the fire is good, and put an iron spider over it, with a tablespoonful of butter in it; next mix the flour and berries to a soft dough, with just enough sweet milk to form it; put the dough into the spider, making the cake about three-quarters of an inch thick, and set over a moderate fire to bake; unless the spider is large, a second one must be used, in order to have the cake the proper thickness; bake the spider -cake slowly for about ten minutes on each side, shaking it about in the pan, and turning it, to prevent burning; before serving it, try it to be sure it is done, and then serve it hot with plenty of butter. SPIDER-CAKE TOAST. Toast cold spider-cake delicately brown; while the cake is being toasted, make a sauce as follows: For each cake allow a full pint of sauce; for each pint of sauce mix together over the fire a tablespoonful each of butter and flour until they bubble; then mix smoothly into them a pint of milk and half a pint of cream; let this sauce boil for a moment, season it palatably with salt, and then pour it over the toasted spider-cake, and serve it at once. BUTTER TOAST. Allow a tablespoonful of butter for each slice of bread; melt the butter by very gentle heat; toast the bread to an even light-brown color, lay it in a chafing-dish, or in a thin china dish set in a larger dish containing hot water, and pour the melted butter over it. Serve it hot as soon as it is made. MILK TOAST. Toast slices of stale bread to a delicate brown color; meantime heat to the boiling-point sufficient milk to saturate the toast, adding two tablespoonfuls of butter to each pint of milk; when the milk boils, pour it over the toast, and serve it hot at once. The boiling milk is sometimes thickened with a little flour or corn-starch. WATER TOAST. Make a dozen slices of toast; have ready about three tablespoonfuls of butter slightly warmed, and a dish of hot water; dip the slices of toast quickly into the hot water, letting them remain in it only until they are moist; lift them out with a skimmer, draining off all superfluous water, lay them on a hot dish, buttering each slice, and as soon as all are dipped serve the toast hot. CHAPTER X. DESSERT (dessert). THE dessert proper consists of small cold sweets, frozen puddings either in moulds or paper cases, nuts, confectionery, black coffee, and candied fruits. Preserves, candied fruits, and jellies are included in this chapter, because they so often enter into the composition of dessert dishes. Many of the frozen puddings can be prepared at home, and the ices and creams also, if there is the proper freezing apparatus. The forms illustrated are French, but any American substitute will serve. The directions for making ices and creams were first published about two years ago, in one of the author's household series then appearing. They are good enough to give permanency to here, for by following them any careful person can produce at home some of the most elaborate of the confectioner's sweets: the forms only will differ, because confectioners have many very pretty individual moulds that are not found in ordinary households. The preparation of these novelties at home should always be undertaken in ample time, so that at dinner-time there shall be no difficulties to overcome at the last moments. CREAM MÉRINGUES. Have ready a large, thick board, which will go into the oven, covered with glazed letter-paper; beat the whites of six eggs to a stiff froth, and gently mix with them half a pound of pulverized sugar, taking care not to break down the eggs; work very quickly and lightly, and as soon as the sugar is incorporated with the egg, heap the mÉringue so made upon the paper, either in two large mounds or in an even number of small ones, and push the board containing them into a very slow oven, where the mÉringues will dry out rather than bake; if the oven is too hot, leave the door open, and change the board frequently, so that the heat will strike its contents evenly. When the mÉreingues are light brown, cool them a little, take them off the paper, turn them over on the hand, and, without breaking them, take out the soft centre, and press the rest back upon the outside with the bowl of a spoon to form a hollow shell; dust the inside with powdered sugar; lay the shells, bottom upward, on clean paper on the board, and place them in a cool oven to dry out. Meantime, either prepare whipped cream to fill them, or make an Italian cream as follows:-- ITALIAN CREAM. Dissolve an ounce and a half of isinglass over the fire in a gill of hot water, and keep it hot enough to remain liquid; prepare a pint of whipped cream according to the directions given in the proper recipe; put in a thick saucepan over the fire a pint of cream, the yolks of eight raw eggs, a quarter of a pound of macaroons, half a pound of powdered sugar, and a wineglassful of curaçoa; stir these ingredients constantly until they begin to thicken; then take them off the fire, and beat in the dissolved isinglass; while the cream is still liquid enough to run through a wire sieve, strain it; after straining it, very gently mix in the pint of whipped cream; reserve enough of the Italian cream to fill the mÉringues with, and pour the rest into a mould to be cooled and iced; serve the cold Italian cream with a border of whipped cream. CANNELONS WITH CREAM. Cut puff-paste in strips about an inch wide, and roll it around a flour ed stick, as shown in the first picture of the cannelons; several are so formed, and then baked upon the sticks; after the cannelons are a little cool, the sticks can be slipped out, and the centres filled with whipped cream, for which a recipe is given elsewhere; or any preserve or jelly can be used to fill them. They are served upon a folded napkin, as shown in the second cut. Uncooked Cannelons. An illlustratin of uncooked cannelons on a skewer. Cannelons with Jelly. An illustration of a plate of cannelons with jelly. BAVARIAN CREAM. This cream is served cold in a form, or sometimes replaces whipped cream in a charlotte-russe. To make it, put a quarter of an ounce of gelatine over the fire with a gill of hot water, and stir the gelatine until it is dissolved, when it may be set near enough to the fire to keep it liquid; whip the white of one egg to a stiff froth, and gradually pour the liquid gelatine into it, whipping it until it begins to set; then cool it for five minutes; whip it again, and stir it into four ounces of pulverized sugar, five drops of lemon and ten of vanilla essence, and a tablespoonful of brandy; meantime, prepare a pint of whipped cream as directed in the proper recipe; when the whipped cream is ready, beat the yolk of one raw egg for one minute, and then beat it into the prepared gelatine; last of all, add the pint of whipped cream, stirring it in very gently and thoroughly, and use the cream to fill a charlotte-mould lined with sponge-cake or lady-fingers. The Bavarian cream is sometimes cooled in a mould, and turned out on a base of whipped cream. CALF'S-FOOT JELLY. As the following recipe is very explicit, and has been repeatedly tested, the fact that it has been published several times does not make it seem necessary to change it in any way. Thoroughly wash four calf's-feet in plenty of cold water, trimming off all defective portions, and carefully removing all the hairs; put them over the fire in a thick saucepan with two gallons of cold water, one heaping teaspoonful of salt, a dozen whole cloves, an inch of stick-cinnamon, and the yellow rind of one lemon cut very thin; place the saucepan where its contents will boil very slowly; remove all scum as it rises, and continue the boiling until there are only about two quarts of the broth remaining in the saucepan; by this time the calf's-feet will have become almost gelatinous from the prolonged boiling, and the broth will be in good condition to make the jelly; strain the broth, and cool it, in order to remove the fat. After the broth from the calf's-feet is quite cold, it will present the appearance of a cloudy, whitish, opaque jelly; it must then be clarified and flavored as follows: For two quarts of the unclarified jelly, put into a thick saucepan the whites and shells of four eggs, two tablespoonfuls of cold water, and the yellow rinds of two lemons cut very thin; mix these ingredients for a moment, breaking the egg-shells ; then add one pound of white sugar, and the cold jellied broth; place the saucepan over the fire, and occasionally stir its contents until they begin to boil; then place it where the jelly will boil gently until it looks as clear as wine under the scum of egg which rises to the surface; put in a large bowl a quart of good sherry and the strained juice of four lemons; set a colander over the bowl, wet a clean towel in hot water, fold it double, and lay it in the colander; pour the boiling jelly into the towel, and let it strain through without stirring the egg or disturbing the folded towel in any way; do not squeeze the towel, or try to hasten the straining, because that might allow some of the particles of egg to escape into the jelly, thus clouding it; a flannel jelly-bag may be used for the straining if one is at hand; after the jelly is strained, it can be cooled in cups, moulds, or glass jars, and kept in a cool place until wanted for use. MADEIRA JELLY. Make some good calf's-foot jelly very thick; after clarifying it, as directed in the recipe for clarifying stock and jelly, dissolve in a quart of the jelly, while it is warm, half an ounce of isinglass; add to it half a pint of good madeira, a glass of brandy, and enough sugar to sweeten the jelly acceptably; then cool it in moulds, and serve it cold. NOYEAU JELLY. Put an ounce of the best isinglass into half a pint of lukewarm water, and stir it over the fire until it is dissolved; meantime put over the fire a pound of loaf-sugar, the juice of half a lemon, and half a pint of cold water, and boil them without stirring until they form a thick sirup; mix with the dissolved isinglass the sirup and a wineglass of noyeau cordial or liqueur; and then strain the jelly into a mould wet in cold water, and allow the jelly to harden before turning it out of the mould. ORANGES WITH JELLY. Cut from sound oranges a small circular piece from the stem end, as shown in the accompanying engraving, and scoop out the pulp of the fruit; or cut the rind in the form of a basket; wash the peels in cold water, put them over the fire in boiling water with a little sugar, and boil them for five minutes; then cool them, and fill them with Florida-orange jelly, or with any jelly, slightly softened by heat; after the orange-rinds are filled with jelly, it must be allowed to harden; the entire rind containing the jelly can then be cut in quarters, as shown in the engraving, or served whole. The effect is very pretty. Oranges filled with Jelly. An illustration of oranges filled with jelly. CHARTREUSE OF CANDIED ORANGES. Peel and quarter oranges enough to line the bottom and sides of a round tin jelly-mould; lay the quarters upon a sieve, and place them on the shelf over the stove, or on the oven- door, where the white membrane which encloses the pulp will become quite dry; this membrane must be entirely unbroken, so that no juice can escape. While the oranges are drying, put over the fire in a sugar-boiler half a pound of loaf-sugar, a gill of water, and a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, and boil the sugar until it cracks off sharp when cooled in ice-water; after large bubbles begin to show on the top of the boiling sugar, it must be tested frequently to see if it is boiled crisp enough. When the sugar is done, pour some sweet salad-oil in a round tin mould, run it all over the inside of the mould, and then pour it out; dip the quarters of orange in the hot sugar, one by one, and then entirely line the bottom and sides of the oiled mould with them, overlapping the quarters a little; the sugar will hold them together, and the oil will prevent adhesion to the mould; after the orange-quarters have cooled in the mould, they will turn out and retain its shape; this forms a chartreuse, which may be filled, just before serving, with any fresh berries, or small fresh fruits, or even with iced creams or jellies. SPINNING SUGAR. Spun sugar is used to ornament large candied pieces of fruit and nuts, or nougat; for instance, the preceding piece, the chartreuse of oranges, might be covered with spun sugar after it is taken from the mould; or a pyramid formed of macaroons, cemented with white of egg; or any large ornamental combination piece built up of candied nuts, fruit, and macaroons; or such a stand of candy as is shown upon the table in the background of the accompanying engraving. The sirup is boiled to the degree called "the crack," and then a very little of it is poured from a spoon moved back and forth over an oiled knife held as shown in the engraving. The motion must be quick and steady; the spun sugar may be made in the long sections shown in the picture, or in Making Spun Sugar. An illustration of a baker making spun sugar. shorter lengths; or it may be spun directly over the piece to be ornamented. DEGREES OF BOILING SUGAR. The degrees of boiling sugar for confectioners' purposes are seven: la lisse, or thread, small and large; la perle, or pearl, small and large; le soufflÉ, or blow; la plume, or feather; le boulet, or ball, small and large; la casse, or crack; and le caramel, or the point of burning. The hand is used in testing, first dipping the fingers in cold water, and then quickly into the boiling sugar : sugar is also boiled by degrees marked on the saccharometer, an instrument which registers the density of sirup; the hand-test is given here. THE THREAD. After the sugar has been boiling a few moments, wet the forefinger, dip it into the sirup, and quickly withdraw it, press it upon the thumb, and then pull it away; the small thread is when the sugar breaks after the thumb and finger have been separated to a short distance; the large thread, when they can be stretched farther apart without breaking the sugar. THE PEARL. The pearl is when the sugar reaches without breaking if the fingers are extended nearly as far as possible; the large pearl, when the thread of sugar remains intact after the fingers are stretched to their widest extent. THE BLOW. At this degree of boiling, small bubbles may be formed by dipping a skimmer in the sugar, and then blowing through the holes; the bubbles fly apart, and sparkle on the reverse of the skimmer. THE FEATHER. When this point is reached, the bubbles formed by blowing the sugar through the skimmer are larger; and if the skimmer is shaken, fine threads of sugar like floss fly off from it. THE BALL. At "the ball," a little of the sugar can be rolled to a very soft ball between the wet fingers. The next degree is the larger and harder ball of sugar, which can be bitten without sticking to the teeth. The sugar should now be tested constantly. THE CRACK. As this degree of boiling approaches, large purling bubbles form upon the surface of the boiling sugar, and it is very near the point for making spun sugar and candied nuts and fruit. Wet the hand, and dip it into the boiling sugar, and then again into the cold water; if the sugar hardens at once, and breaks with a crackling noise between the fingers or the teeth, the proper point has been reached, and the sugar must at once be taken from the fire, because there is great danger that it will pass beyond the point of caramel. CARAMEL. Caramel is the point at which sugar begins to burn. It becomes tinged with yellow, and then quickly browns, and begins to smoke; to check the boiling, set the sugar-boiler into a pan of cold water for a moment, and then use the sugar. TO PREVENT GRANULATION IN BOILING SUGAR. As the sugar boils, repeatedly wipe the sides of the boiler, where the sugar bubbles against it, with a cloth wet in cold water; and add five or six drops of lemon-juice or vinegar, or dissolved citric acid or cream of tartar 1 or salad- oil, or a very small bit of butter, or a teaspoonful of honey; in short, any acid or fat, in very small quantity, to keep the sugar smooth; and do not stir it while it is boiling. The fat or acid must be used in very small proportion, or the sugar will be spoiled; above all, keep the sides of the sugar - boiler clean with the wet cloth. HOW TO REDUCE BOILING SUGAR A DEGREE. If sugar boils beyond the desired degree, reduce it by adding a few tablespoonfuls of water, and boil it again. If it has reached the point of burning, the consistency may be reduced, but the taste of burned sugar will remain. But the sugar should be too carefully watched and tested to allow burning. NOUGAT. Blanch a pound of almonds after they are shelled, by pouring boiling water over them, and then rubbing off the skins with a wet towel; cut the blanched almonds in several pieces, and put them into a moderate oven, in a pan; occasionally shake them, until they are very hot, but do not let them brown; meantime put half a pound of fine white sugar over the fire, in a thick saucepan or sugar - boiler, with a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, and stir it with a wooden spoon until the sugar is entirely melted and small bubbles begin to show on the surface; then at once throw in the hot almonds, stir them gently through the sugar until they are mixed with it, and then pour out the nougat on an oiled slab or dish, flattening and smoothing it with half a lemon dipped in oil; work quickly, because the nougat hardens fast. Pistache nuts are sometimes added to the almonds in making nougat. 1 A saltspoonful of cream of tartar is enough for a pound of sugar. FREEZING-TUB FOR FROZEN PUDDINGS. This engraving shows the mould containing the pudding which is to be frozen set in the tub of freezing-mixture, and also the mould entirely covered with ice packed upon it; over the ice a folded blanket or a piece of clean carpet is thrown, until the pudding is entirely frozen. FROZEN CABINET-PUDDING. Dissolve half an ounce of gelatine in a gill of hot water, and keep it warm enough to be liquid; break into a saucepan the yolks of six raw eggs, add to them half a pound of white sugar, a quart of cream, and a teaspoonful of any preferred flavoring; cut in small pieces a quarter of a pound of citron, making as many slices as possible in the form of leaves; use four ounces each of candied cherries, pineapple, and any other French fruit, cutting the last two in small dice; with the citron-leaves and cherries make wreaths upon the bottom and sides of the inside of a three-pint plain tin mould which has a tight cover, filling each piece of fruit against the mould with a small bit of cold butter; cut pieces of sponge-cake baked in thin sheets, to fit against the fruit on the inside of the mould, and line it with the cake; a large loaf of sponge-cake can be sliced, for lining the mould; after the mould is lined, fill it with alternate layers of cake and fruit until within half an inch of the top, and cut a slice of cake to fit over the top; after the mould is filled, put the saucepan containing the custard over the fire, and stir it constantly until it begins to thicken; then stir in the gelatine, and strain it into the mould containing the fruit and cake; when it has cooled a little, put on the top slice of cake, and the cover of the mould, and close the mould by binding a strip of buttered cloth or thick paper around the joint of the cover; pack the mould as directed for the second freezing of ices, in the proper recipe, and freeze the pudding for four hours; turn it from the mould before serving it. Frozen cabinet pudding may be served with cold boiled custard, whipped cream, the rum-sauce given with the recipe for hot cabinet pudding, or with any good hard sauce. CONFECTIONERS' NESSELRODE PUDDING. This delicious ice can be prepared at home by attending closely to the following directions, or any good confectioner will make it to order. Boil fifty Italian chestnuts, remove the shells and skins, and either rub them through a sieve with a potato-masher, or pound them to a pulp in a mortar; there should be about a pint and a half of chestnut pulp; mix with it an equal quantity by measure of fine sugar, and a pint and a half of very thick cream whipped to a stiff froth, and freeze it like ice-cream; meantime put over the fire a pound of sugar and a pint and a half of water, and let it boil; while the sirup is heating, pick over four ounces of sultana or seedless raisins, and cut in small dice four ounces each of citron and candied pineapple, and when the sugar is melted put them into it, together with four ounces of candied cherries; boil the fruit in the sirup for five minutes, and then strain it out, saving the sirup; after the fruit is put into the sirup, boil and peel twenty-five more chestnuts; when the chestnuts are done, return the sirup to the fire with a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, and boil it until large bubbles form on the top; then begin to test it by dropping a little into ice-water; as soon as it is hard and crisp directly it touches the water, dip the nuts into it, and lay them on an oiled dish. The candied nuts are to be used as a garnish for the pudding after it is frozen. After the cream is frozen, mix the fruit with it, and pack it in a tight mould for the second freezing, or in paper cases, and freeze it the second time as directed in the recipes for freezing ices; serve the candied nuts around it when it is sent to the table. FRANCATELLI'S NESSELRODE PUDDING. Make a pulp, or purÉe, of three dozen large chestnuts, as directed in the preceding recipe; put it into a thick saucepan with the yolks of eight eggs, a pint of cream, a small vanilla-bean powdered, a teaspoonful of salt, and half a pint of pineapple-sirup ; stir these ingredients over the fire until the eggs begin to thicken; then take the cream from the fire, rub it through a fine sieve with a wooden spoon, cool it, and half freeze it as directed in the preceding recipe. While the pudding is being frozen, cut the following fruit in small pieces, and put it into a bowl with a gill of maraschino; a quarter of a pound each of seedless raisins, candied cherries, candied or preserved pineapple, and citron, and whip half a pint of cream. When the pudding is half frozen, mix the whipped cream and fruit with it, and finish freezing it as directed in the preceding recipe. COFFEE BOMBE. Put in a saucepan over the fire half a pound of roasted Mocha coffee-berries, and shake them until they are thoroughly heated; then pour over them a pint of cream, cover the saucepan, and let the cream and coffee remain hot, without boiling, for an hour; then strain off the cream. After the cream is strained, put into a thick saucepan the yolks of eight eggs, a pound of sugar, and the cream strained through a napkin; dissolve an ounce and a half of gelatine in a gill of hot water; whip half a pint of cream to a stiff froth; put the saucepan containing the sugar, eggs, and cream over the fire, and stir it until it begins to thicken; then remove it from the fire, and stir the dissolved gelatine into it for two minutes; after stirring in the gelatine, mix in the whipped cream very quickly and lightly; put the coffee bombe into a tight-covered mould, and freeze it as directed for frozen puddings; or put it into little paper cases, and freeze them for three hours, as directed in the proper recipe. ICE-CREAMS. The secret of making good ice-cream of any grade lies in the freezing. The old way of freezing cream, which is still in use among small confectioners, consisted of occasionally stirring the cream while it was freezing in a tin can set in a tub of ice and salt. A more easy and expeditious method is within the reach of the average housekeeper in these days of patent freezers. The same principle underlies all the best known patents; i.e., the mixing of the cream by a wooden beater which revolves inside the can by the same motion that slightly changes the position of the can in the outer tub of ice and salt. This freezing-mixture should be composed of three parts of crushed ice to one of coarse salt, and care should be taken that it does not reach high enough around the sides of the can to penetrate to the interior, and so spoil the cream; the water formed in the outer tub by the melting of the freezing mixture need not be drawn off while the cream is being frozen, unless it is likely to get into the can, because the water is intensely cold. If it is desired to pack the cream after it is frozen, the water may be drawn off, and enough more ice and salt packed around the can to nearly reach to the top. Ice-cream packed in this way can be kept over night, or longer if the freezing mixture is properly renewed. When ice-cream is "moulded," or packed in tin moulds of fancy shapes, all the openings should be closed with butter, or oiled paper closed about the apertures of the mould with paste or gum-tragacanth . Ice-creams of the most ordinary sort are made of milk, thickened with arrowroot or corn-starch in the proportion of a tablespoonful to a quart, dissolved in cold water, and then boiled in the milk, which is cooled, sweetened, and flavored before it is frozen. PLAIN ICE-CREAM. The sort of ice-cream usually made at home is composed of milk, with a small proportion of cream, with eggs and sugar added to it: for instance, dissolve half a pound of sugar in a quart of milk, place it over the fire, and let it heat to the boiling point; meantime beat three eggs to a cream, pour the boiling milk into them, and then return to the fire, and stir it until it begins to thicken; then at once remove it from the fire, stir it until it is smooth; then flavor it, cool it, and when it is cool, freeze it, according to directions given, in the freezer. FROZEN CUSTARD. Frozen custard is made in the same way, only five eggs, at least, are added to a quart of milk. PHILADELPHIA ICE-CREAM. Philadelphia ice-cream is pure cream over-sweetened, over-flavored, and then frozen. VANILLA ICE-CREAM. A good vanilla ice-cream is made from cream over-sweetened, and flavored with powdered vanilla-bean; when it is half frozen, the white of an egg, beaten to a stiff froth, is stirred thoroughly into it, and the freezing is completed. FRENCH ICE-CREAM. French ice-cream, thick and yellow, is made by boiling a quart of cream with a long vanilla-bean, and then cooling and straining it; then the yolks of twelve eggs are beaten smooth with three-quarters of a pound of sugar; the flavored cream is then mixed with the eggs, and stirred over the fire until it begins to thicken; directly the cream begins to thicken, take it from the fire, and stir it for five minutes; then cool it, and freeze it. COFFEE ICE-CREAM. Coffee ice-cream is made by roasting half a pound of coffee, pouring three pints of boiling cream over it, and steeping for an hour; the cream, flavored with coffee, is then made according to the directions given for French ice-cream. A plainer coffee ice-cream is made by using five or six eggs to a quart of cream or milk. Tea ice-cream is similarly made, an ounce of tea being first infused in a quart of cream. BROWN-BREAD ICE-CREAM. For brown-bread ice-cream, grate fine about a cupful of brown bread, soak it for half an hour in a quart of cream, and then rather over-sweeten it; have ready an ice-cream freezer packed with a freezing-mixture composed of one part salt to three parts pounded ice; put the cream into the freezer, and freeze it in accordance with the directions which always accompany every freezer, some of which have already been given. FANCY ICE-CREAMS AND ICES. The same care must be exercised in freezing fancy ice-creams; and after the first freezing they are to be packed in moulds, which must be absolutely tight, and the moulds in turn packed in a large tub of pounded ice, and covered with a heavy woollen blanket or strip of soft carpet. NEAPOLITAN ICE-CREAM. Neapolitan or harlequin ice-cream is made by packing the mould with layers of various colored creams after they are frozen; usually vanilla, pistache , and strawberry creams are used; a good recipe is given above for vanilla ice-cream, another for strawberry is given below. PISTACHE ICE-CREAM. Pistache ice-cream is made by adding about two ounces of blanched pistache nuts to a quart of any good ice-cream; the nuts are shelled, boiling water is poured over the kernels, and the skins rubbed off with a wet towel; the nuts are then pounded to a smooth paste in a mortar, a few drops of rosewater being added to prevent oiling, and colored with spinach green, a harmless vegetable coloring sold by dealers in confectioners' supplies. TUTTI FRUTTI. Tutti Frutti is good vanilla ice-cream frozen, and then mixed with candied fruit, and packed in moulds for the second freezing; the French candied fruits are the best for this cream. PLUM-PUDDING GLACÉ. Plum-pudding glacÉ is made by first seeding twelve ounces of raisins, and boiling them gently for fifteen minutes in a quart of milk or cream with a small stick of cinnamon; a quarter of a pound of almonds are to be shelled, their skins removed by pouring boiling water on them, and rubbing them in a wet towel; they are then to be pounded fine in a mortar, with a few drops of rosewater; two ounces each of preserved ginger and citron are to be sliced thin, and the yolks of four eggs beaten to a cream with half a pound of powdered sugar; the raisins and cinnamon are to be strained from the milk, which is to be returned to the fire, and stirred while the eggs and sugar are added to it; it is to be stirred until it begins to thicken, then removed from the fire; when it is cold, the fruit and almonds are to be added to it, with a quart of sweetened cream; and it is to be frozen, and then packed in ice. In serving the pudding, whipped cream flavored with wine, brandy, or rum is placed around it after it is turned from the mould. FRUIT ICE-CREAMS. Fruit ice-creams are made by mixing fresh fruit-juice and cream in equal parts, and sweetening and freezing them. The fruit crushed is also used, with cream and sugar. Strawberries, raspberries, and grated pineapple make delicious creams. Fresh fruits crushed, sweetened, and frozen are delicate and refreshing; peaches and bananas are especially good so frozen. Fresh peaches frozen with Philadelphia ice-cream are excellent. Equal parts of good ice-cream and very sweet apple-sauce mixed, and frozen again, make a delicious cream. FRUIT-ICES. The ordinary fruit-ices are made by mixing equal parts of fruit-juice and water with plenty of sugar, and then freezing them; less lemon-juice is required. Confectioners sometimes add the beaten whites of two eggs to each quart of fruit-ice when it is partly frozen, and then finish the freezing. WATER-ICES. The finer water-ices are made of sirup and fruit-juice frozen; the sirup is prepared by boiling together four pounds of sugar, one quart of water, and the white of an egg beaten with them, for ten minutes; the sirup is then strained and cooled; for ices, a palatable mixture is made with fruit -juice, and when it is half frozen the white of one egg beaten is added. ROMAN PUNCH. Ordinary Roman punch is a plain fruit -ice to which rum is added, a gill to a quart, and, in serving, a teaspoonful of rum is placed in each glass. A finer sort is made of an ice with the sirup, to each quart of which, when half frozen, are added three whites of egg beaten stiff, six tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, and one glass each of rum and brandy. ROMAN-PUNCH GLACÉ. Roman-punch glacÉ is made by adding to a quart of lemon-ice made with sirup three whites of egg beaten stiff, and one glass each of brandy, champagne, and maraschino, and then freezing it. CHAMPAGNE-ICE. Have ready a freezer as directed in the recipes for freezing ices and creams. Make a very strong, sweet lemonade, and half freeze it, then mix it with a quart bottle of good champagne, after the lemonade is half frozen; close the freezer again quickly, and freeze the ice. In mixing the champagne with the lemon-ice , open the champagne quickly, pour it at once into the freezer, close it without stirring it (because the mixer inside the freezer will do that), and then turn the freezer until the ice is hard enough to serve; the utmost expedition must be used in opening and mixing the champagne with the lemon-ice , because its volatile gas escapes so rapidly; and the freezer must be kept closed and well packed with ice until the champagne-ice is served. FREEZING-TUB FOR SMALL ICES. The accompanying engraving shows the tub and mould for freezing small ices and creams in paper cases. The tub contains the mould packed in ice; the mould is also shown outside the tub, and the frame which fits in the mould, and holds the paper cases filled with creams or ices. After the frame is fitted into the mould, it is packed in the tub with the freezing-mixture, and covered with ice, and then with a folded blanket or a piece of clean carpet, until the contents of the little cases are frozen. Freezing Tub for Small Ices. An illustration of a freezing tub for small ices. CANNED FRUIT. The canning of fruit is a very simple matter. The fruit must be perfectly sound and ripe, and cut or kept whole to please the fancy. The jars should be of glass with porcelain-lined tops, and rubber bands to exclude the air; put the cans into a pan of cold water with some hay or a folded towel under them, and set them on the stove to heat. Then put into them fruit scalded without sugar, or with as much sugar as is desired, keeping the cans in the hot water until the fruit has been put into them and the tops are screwed on; then let them cool; again screw down the tops as close as possible, and set the cans in a cool, dark closet. To can fruit without sugar, put it into the jars after it is prepared, set the jars on a rack of wooden slats in a large boiler; pour in cold water enough to reach half way up the sides of the cans, spread a cloth over the top of the boiler, and put on the cover; place the boiler over the fire; when the steam begins to escape freely, note the time, and continue the cooking of the fruit according to its size: in ordinary quart cans, the small berries will cook in fifteen minutes; the large berries, grapes, cherries, and currants, in about twenty minutes; peaches, pears, plums, cut apples, pineapples, and most other large fruit, in twenty minutes; quinces and hard pears require half an hour. After the fruit is done, the boiler should be removed from the fire, and as soon as the jars can be handled with the aid of folded dry towels the covers should be screwed on; when the jars are cool, the covers should be tightened, and the fruit put away in a cool, dark place. PRESERVES AND JELLIES. The making of preserves and jellies was formerly much more the test of excellence among housekeepers than it is now. So many preserved and canned fruits are to be bought at reasonable prices, and of varying qualities, that even careful housekeepers use them. For the guidance of those who prefer the home-made kinds, two points may be emphasized: i.e., the keeping of preserves depends both upon the proportion of sugar used, and their thorough cooking; and the excellence of jellies, upon the clear quality of the fruit-juice , and the boiling of the jelly until a little of it, cooled on a saucer, hardens or thickens to the desired consistency. The general principles given in one recipe apply to all the others of a similar kind. All jellies and preserves should be entirely closed from the air, and kept in a cool, dark place. If they show any sign of fermentation or mould, they should be boiled at once, with a little more sugar, and again closed from the air. JELLY-BAGS. The first cut shows a flannel jelly-bag tied upon a frame, with a utensil placed underneath to receive the jelly as it runs through the bag. The second figure represents a Jelly-Bag on Frame. An illustration of a jelly-bag on a frame. kitchen rush-stool turned over, with a straining-cloth tied upon the bottom of the legs of the stool; if a little depression is left in the centre of the cloth, and a utensil set under it upon the rush of the stool, this improvised strainer will serve the purpose of straining when a jelly-bag is not at hand. Or a fine towel may be folded twice, and laid in a colander set over an earthen bowl, and the jelly or broth strained through it. Improvised Straining-Cloth for Soups and Jellies. An illustration of an improvised straining-cloth for soups and jellies. PINEAPPLE JELLY. Choose perfectly ripe pineapples, pare them thinly, remove the eyes, and grate them; to each pound of fruit add half a pound of white sugar, and let them stand two or three hours; then put them over the fire in a porcelain-lined preserving-kettle, and let them slowly approach the boiling-point, and boil gently until the fruit is tender; hang a jelly-bag over an earthen bowl, pour the hot pineapple and sirup into it, and let the sirup run through the bag without pressing it; do not squeeze the bag, and let the pineapple remain in it until every particle of the juice or sirup has drained from it; it is well to let it drain over night. To each pint of the juice add half a pound of sugar, and boil it gently and steadily, removing all scum as fast as it rises; after the jelly has boiled about fifteen minutes, take up a little on a saucer, and cool it to see if it will harden; if it does not harden, continue the boiling a few moments, and then test it again; when the jelly hardens upon cooling, remove it from the fire, cool it until it is lukewarm, then pour it into glasses, and let it get quite cold; when the jelly is quite cold and firm, cover each glass with a piece of white paper dipped in brandy, and then paste over the tops of the glasses pieces of white paper dipped in the white of egg slightly beaten, taking care to completely exclude the air from the glasses. Keep the jelly in a cool, dark, dry closet. SUGARED PINEAPPLE. Use sound, ripe pineapples; peel and slice them about half an inch thick, removing the little brown circles with a small, sharp knife; after the fruit is peeled, weigh it, and allow a pound and a quarter of crushed sugar to each pound of fruit; roll the sugar until it is quite fine; put the pineapple and sugar into glass jars, in alternate layers, using the sugar profusely; after filling the jars, seal them air-tight, and keep them in a cool place until the pineapple is required; the fruit will keep a long time if the jars are properly sealed. PINEAPPLE PRESERVES. Use perfectly sound, ripe pineapples; peel and slice them, and for each pound of fruit allow a pound of sugar; put the sugar and fruit in layers in a deep bowl, having sugar at the top and bottom, and let the pineapple stand over night. In the morning strain the sirup into a preserving-kettle, place it over the fire, and boil it gently, skimming it until it is quite clear; after the sirup is free from scum, continue to boil it slowly and steadily until a little of it, cooled upon a saucer, thickens to a medium consistency; then pour the sirup again upon the pineapple, and let it cool. When the preserves are quite cold, put them up as directed in the recipe for pineapple-jelly . CRAB-APPLE JELLY. Wash and stem the apples, cut them in halves, put them over the fire in enough cold water to cover them, and stew them to a pulp; then pour them into a jelly-bag, and let the juice drain from them. The apple -pulp may be sweetened and used for luncheon. To make the jelly, allow a pound of sugar to a pint of juice; boil them together, removing all scum, for about twenty minutes, or until a little of the juice forms a jelly on being cooled. Then partly cool the jelly, and put it up as already directed for jellies. CRAB-APPLE JELLY WITH LEMON. To each pound of crab-apples allow one lemon; cut the yellow rind of the lemon very thin, and squeeze and strain the juice; make the jelly according to the preceding recipe, boiling the yellow rind with the apples, and adding the lemon-juice just before the jelly is thick enough to put up in the glasses. CRAB-APPLE PRESERVE. Wash the apples, leaving on the stems, put them over the fire with an equal weight of sugar, and boiling water enough to cover them, and boil them gently until they are tender, but not broken, removing all scum as it rises; when the apples are tender, skim them out of the sirup, and put them in jars; boil the sirup until it begins to thicken; then cool it, pour it over the apples, and put them up like other preserves. APPLE-JELLY. Choose a dozen large, sound, spicy apples; wipe them with a wet cloth, quarter them, and remove the cores; put the apples into a saucepan, with a pint of cold water, place them over the fire, and simmer them gently for half an hour. Then place a sieve over an earthen bowl, pour the apples into the sieve without breaking them, and let the juice drain into the bowl entirely. When all the juice has run through the sieve, use the apples for sauce, first sweetening them a little. Then strain the apple-juice , add to each pint of juice a pound of white sugar, put the juice and sugar into a preserving-kettle, set it over the fire, and heat its contents gradually. After the jelly begins to boil, boil it for ten minutes, and then cool it in glasses or moulds. APPLE MARMALADE. Peel seven pounds of tart apples, and put them into the preserving-kettle with a pint of cold water; peel the yellow rind of four lemons, and add it to the apples; squeeze the juice of the lemons, and keep it until the apples are boiled to a pulp; then add it to them, together with four pounds of sugar, and boil the marmalade for half an hour longer, or until it has the proper consistency. Put it up in jelly-glasses after it has cooled a little. NEW-ENGLAND APPLE-JAM. Choose rather tart, highly flavored apples; pare, and slice them thin, or chop them rather small, removing the cores; weigh them after they are prepared, and allow an equal weight of light- brown sugar; to each pound of sugar add a gill of cold water, put them together in a preserving-kettle over the fire, melt the sugar, and boil the sirup, skimming it until it is clear; then put in the apples; grate the yellow rind and squeeze the juice of one lemon, and scrape and slice one small green ginger-root , for each pound of apples; add both to the apples and sirup as soon as they are prepared, and boil all slowly until the apples look clear, stirring them often enough to prevent burning. When the jam is cooked sufficiently, partly cool it in the preserving-kettle, and then put it up in glass or earthen jars, sealing them air-tight after they are cold. PLUM MARMALADE. Wash and drain the plums, cut them quite to the stone with a silver fruit-knife, put them into the preserving-kettle, and place it over a moderate fire; stir the plums often enough to prevent burning, and as the stones rise to the surface in boiling skim them out; simmer the plums until they are tender enough to rub through a sieve; crack about a quarter of the stones, peel the kernels, and cut them in strips; after the plums are tender, rub them through a sieve with a wooden spoon or a potato-masher; add the kernels, and weigh the pulp; allow three-quarters as much sugar as there is fruit; put them together into the preserving-kettle, stir them until they boil, and gently boil them for ten minutes, stirring constantly; then partly cool the marmalade, and put it up as already directed. PLUM-JAM. Wash, dry, and weigh the plums; allow three-quarters of their weight in sugar; put the plums over the fire, and boil them gently for three-quarters of an hour, stirring them often enough to prevent burning; remove the stones as they rise to the surface, and crack one-fourth of them; at the end of three-quarters of an hour put in the sugar, and continue to boil the jam for fifteen minutes, stirring it constantly, and removing all scum as it rises; five minutes before it is done, put in the kernels; when the jam is partly cool, put it in jars; when it is quite cold, lay paper dipped in brandy in each jar, and seal them air-tight. PLUM-JELLY. Plum-jelly is made from equal parts of plum -juice, obtained by boiling the plums as apples are boiled for apple-jelly and white sugar; finish the jelly as directed in the recipe for apple-jelly. BRANDIED GREEN-GAGE PLUMS. Choose perfectly sound green-gage plums, not quite ripe; wash them in cold water, and wipe them dry; have plenty of peach or vine leaves washed and drained; in the bottom of a preserving-kettle put a layer of leaves three deep; weigh the plums, and to each pound allow a piece of alum as large as a grain of corn; put the plums and leaves into the kettle in layers, with the alum pulverized and sprinkled among them; cover the last layer of plums with a layer of leaves three deep, and pour over them just enough cold water to cover them; spread a clean towel over the top of the kettle, and then fit on a perfectly tight cover to keep in the steam; place the kettle on the back of the stove, where its contents will heat gradually, and steam them for two hours; do not allow the plums to boil, or they will soften and break; when they are quite green, drain them and cool them, and put them into wide-mouthed glass jars. Make a sirup as follows: For each pound of plums allow half a pound of sugar and half a pint of water; put them into a preserving-kettle, and boil and skim the sirup until it is clear; then cool it, and add to it an equal measure of the best French brandy; when both plums and sirup are quite cold, fill the jars with the sirup, and then cork and seal them air-tight. PRESERVED PEARS. Choose firm acid pears for preserving; if the fruit is small, preserve it whole; if large, cut it in halves or quarters; peel the pears with a silver fruit-knife, dropping them into cold water as fast as they are peeled, to prevent discoloration; when the fruit is all prepared, weigh it, and allow an equal quantity of sugar; put the fruit over the fire in sufficient cold water to entirely cover it, and heat and gently boil it until it is tender enough to yield to a slight pressure of the fingers; meantime put the sugar into the preserving-kettle, adding to each pound a pint of cold water, and to every five or six pounds the thinly pared yellow rind and juice of two lemons, and two ounces of green ginger-root scalded and scraped; boil the sirup, and remove all scum as it rises; when the pears are boiled, as directed above, put them into the sirup, and boil them until they look clear; when the pears are thoroughly penetrated with the sirup, remove the preserving-kettle from the fire, cool the preserves in the sirup, and then put them up as already directed. PEAR MARMALADE. Peel, quarter, and core ripe pears, weighing them after they are peeled; put them into the preserving-kettle, with enough cold water to cover them, heat them slowly, and boil them gently until they are quite tender; then skim them from the water; in their place put the peelings and cores, and boil them for an hour, and then strain the water from them; allow a pint of this water and a pound of sugar to each pound of fruit; put the sugar and water over the fire in the preserving-kettle, boil them to a sirup, removing all scum as it rises, and testing the sirup occasionally; when a little of it, cooled on a saucer, jellies slightly, stir the pears into it, and boil the marmalade for five minutes, stirring it constantly; then partly cool it, and put it up as already directed. PEAR-JAM. Peel, quarter, and core perfectly ripe pears; weigh them, and then pack them closely into an earthen jar; place the jar in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire, and let it remain until the fruit is soft enough to break apart; then put an equal weight of sugar over the fire, with a pint of water to each pound of sugar, and skim it until it forms a clear sirup; put the pears into the sirup, and stir them frequently until they boil; after they begin to boil, stir them constantly, and boil for twenty minutes; then partly cool the jam, and put it up as already directed. SUGARED QUINCES. Select sound, firm quinces; wipe them with a wet cloth, pare them, cut them in eighths, and core them; put the cores and parings into a small cloth bag, and boil them with the quinces, which must be put over the fire in a preserving-kettle, with boiling water enough to cover them, and boiled gently until they are tender, then drain and cool them; after they are cool, weigh them, and allow an equal amount of granulated sugar; when the quinces are quite cold, put them into glass or earthen jars in layers with the sugar, and cover the jars air-tight. Look at them frequently; if they show any sign of fermentation, place the jars in a large pan of warm water, loosen the covers, and heat the water until the quinces are scalding hot; close the jars again air-tight after the quinces are scalded. QUINCES PRESERVED WHOLE. Peel rather small ripe quinces, of even size, scoop out the cores from the stem ends, weigh, and put the fruit into a preserving-kettle; cover it with boiling water, and boil it gently until it is tender, but not in the least broken; the cores and peelings should be tied in a thin cloth, and boiled with the fruit; add to the water in which the fruit was boiled one pound of sugar to each pound of fruit, removing all scum as it rises, and when it is quite free from scum, pour it over the fruit, and let it stand over night; the next day put the fruit and sirup into the preserving-kettle, and boil them gently together until the fruit looks clear; take the fruit from the sirup when it looks clear, and put it into glass jars; continue to boil the sirup until a little of it cooled on a saucer jellies, then pour it over the fruit. When the preserves are cold, close the jars air-tight. QUINCE-JELLY. Quince-jelly is made like apple-jelly, boiling the quinces until tender, and then using their juice with an equal part of sugar; the quince parings and cores should be enclosed in a small bag, and boiled with the fruit. The residue of the quinces may be made into jam. PRESERVED PEACHES. Choose perfectly sound, ripe, freestone peaches; either pare them very thinly with a silver knife, without bruising them, or have ready a gallon of scalding- hot water in which a teaspoonful of washing-soda has been dissolved, and throw the peaches into it, a few at a time, keeping it scalding hot, letting them remain in it until their skins burst a little, when they can easily be removed. As fast as the peaches are peeled, cut them in halves, take out the stones, and throw them into cold water. When all the peaches are peeled, weigh them, and also weigh an equal quantity of white sugar; in the bottom of a porcelain-lined preserving-kettle put a layer of sugar, then add a layer of peaches with their hollow side up, then more sugar, and more peaches, until all are used, covering the top with a layer of sugar. Cover the kettle, and let the fruit stand in the sugar over night. The next day set the preserving-kettle on a gentle fire, and boil the peaches steadily until they look clear, skimming them as often as any scum rises. When they are cooked, cover the preserving-kettle, and let the peaches stand in sirup, off the fire, until they are quite cold; then put them in jars; lay a small piece of writing-paper wet with brandy on the top of the preserves before closing the jars, and then close them air-tight. A piece of writing-paper dipped in the white of egg, slightly beaten, and pressed down over the mouth of the jar, will effectually exclude the air. PEACH-JELLY. Peach-jelly is made like the other fruit -jellies; and after the juice is strained off, the fruit may be sweetened for the table. JELLIED PEACHES. Peel the peaches, and lay them in cold water, as directed in the preceding recipe; crack one-fourth of the kernels, and boil them for half an hour in just enough water to cover them; when all the peaches are peeled, put them into a preserving-kettle, with an equal quantity of sugar, in layers, and heat them slowly until the sugar melts; then add the water in which the kernels were boiled, and boil the peaches gently until they are transparent; take them from the sirup with a skimmer, and lay them on sieves; boil the sirup until it jellies, removing all scum as it rises; put the peaches into glass jars, pour the hot sirup over them, and let them cool; then close them air-tight, as directed in the preceding recipe. PEACH MARMALADE. Brush the fur from sound, ripe peaches, cut them in halves, remove the stones, and crack half of them; pour boiling water over the cracked kernels, rub off the skins, and cut them in strips lengthwise. Weigh the peaches, and put them into a preserving-kettle with three-fourths of their weight of sugar; set the kettle over the fire where its contents will heat gradually; stir the marmalade with a wooden spoon constantly after it begins to boil, and let it boil for half an hour; at the end of twenty-five minutes add the kernels; put the marmalade into earthen jars, and when it is thoroughly cold lay a round of paper dipped in brandy in each jar, and seal them air-tight. BRANDY PEACHES. Peel sound Morris White peaches as directed in the recipe for preserved peaches, putting them into hot water while the following sirup is made: For each pound of peaches allow a pound of sugar and half a pint of water; boil them together, removing all scum as it rises, and when the sirup is clear, cool it, and mix it with an equal quantity of the best French brandy; also boil together a pound of sugar and two quarts of water, and when it has been skimmed clear, put in a few peaches at a time, and boil them until they are tender enough to yield under slight pressure; then take them up, and put them into jars; cover them with the brandied sirup, and close the jars air-tight. APRICOT MARMALADE. Prepare the marmalade as directed in the preceding recipes for marmalade, boiling the fruit only twenty minutes; and then put up the marmalade as directed above. APRICOT PRESERVES AND JELLY. Jelly and preserves can be made from apricots by following the directions given in the peach recipes. CHERRY PRESERVES. The Morello cherry, and the large red variety ordinarily used for pies, make the best preserves. Choose fine, sound fruit, as large as possible, reserving the smaller fruit for marmalade. Stem the cherries, and stone the fruit without bruising it; this is not difficult if a quill is squarely cut off, and pushed evenly through the cherries from the stem end, thus punching out the stones. All the juice from the fruit should be saved. After the fruit is stoned, weigh it, and allow an equal quantity of sugar; sprinkle the sugar among the cherries, and let them stand for several hours, or over night, so that the sugar may slightly harden the fruit; then put the fruit, sugar, and juice into a preserving-kettle, place it over the fire, gradually heat them together, and then boil them gently until the cherries look clear, removing all scum as it rises. After the fruit is clear, take the preserving-kettle from the fire, cover it, and let the preserves cool; when quite cool, put the cherries into glass jars, lay a piece of brandied paper on the top of each jar, and then close them air-tight, and keep them in a cool, dark closet. The sweeter varieties of cherries should be reserved for pies and puddings. CHERRY MARMALADE. Stem and stone fine cherries as directed in the recipe for cherry preserves; weigh them, and use half their weight in sugar; put the sugar over the fire in a preserving-kettle, with half a pint of cold water to each pound of sugar, and let the sugar boil until a few drops of it cooled in cold water are crisp and still slightly sticky; when the sugar is so boiled, put the fruit into it, and boil it rapidly, stirring it meantime until the marmalade is quite thick and the fruit clear and semi-transparent; then remove the kettle from the fire, partly cool the marmalade, and put it up like other preserves. BRANDIED CHERRIES. Use perfectly sound, large, sweet cherries; remove the stems, or clip them within an inch of the fruit; put over the fire in the preserving-kettle a pound of sugar and a quart of water; boil them together, and skim the sirup quite clear; scald the cherries in this for two or three minutes, but not long enough to break the skins; then take them from the sirup with a skimmer, and spread them on dishes to cool. Make a sirup in quantity sufficient to cover the cherries, allowing a pound of sugar to half a pint of water or of the thin sirup used for scalding the cherries; boil the sirup, skimming it until it is clear, and then cool it; when it is cold, mix with it an equal quantity of the best French brandy. Put the cherries into wide-mouthed bottles, pour the sirup over them, cork the bottles tight, and then seal them by dipping the corks into melted resin and wax. RASPBERRY PRESERVES. Choose large, fine berries which are quite ripe, look carefully at every one to make sure no insects or worms are hidden in the hollows of the fruit, and then weigh it. Allow an equal weight of sugar and fruit; put a thick layer of sugar on the bottom of the preserving-kettle, and then fill the kettle with alternate layers of fruit and sugar, having sugar on the top; let the fruit stand in the sugar over night. The next day stem ripe currants, break them, and squeeze their juice through a cloth; allow half a pint of juice to each two pounds of fruit and sugar, weighed together; set the preserving-kettle containing the crushed berries and sugar over the fire, add the currant-juice in the proportion specified above, and stir them together until they boil; remove all scum as it rises, and stir the berries often enough to prevent sticking, taking care not to break them; boil the preserves until they look quite clear, and then cool them, and put them up as directed for other preserves. Keep these preserves, like all others, in a cool, dark closet. MRS. CHARLES THORNTON ADAMS'S RASPBERRY JAM. When raspberry-jam has been boiled nearly long enough, put currant -jelly with it, in the proportion of half a pint of jelly to a quart of jam, and stir them thoroughly together; then cool the jam, and put it up in the usual way. RASPBERRY AND CURRANT JAM. After carefully looking over raspberries, weigh them, and allow an equal quantity of sugar. To each pound of fruit and sugar (that is, the united weight of both) allow half a pint of the juice of currants, bruised and squeezed in a cloth. Put the currant-juice and raspberries in a preserving-kettle over the fire, break the berries with a wooden spoon, and stir them constantly until they have boiled quickly long enough to waste about two-thirds of their juice; then put in the sugar, and continue the stirring until it is completely dissolved; when the sugar is dissolved, simmer the jam slowly for five minutes, stirring it often enough to prevent burning. Cool, and put up the jam as directed in the other recipes for jams. CURRANT-JAM. Choose fine, ripe currants; stem them, and weigh them; allow an equal weight of sugar; put the fruit and sugar in a preserving-kettle over a moderate fire, and stir them occasionally until they boil; remove all scum as it rises, and boil the jam ten minutes from the time it begins to boil; then partly cool the jam, and put it into glasses or jars; when quite cold, put a round of paper dipped in brandy in each glass or jar, and close them from the air with paper dipped in the white of an egg slightly beaten. CURRANT-JELLY. After removing the stems from ripe currants, put them over the fire, and break them until they yield their juice; then strain it through a jelly-bag, and make the jelly as directed in the recipes for other fruit -jellies, allowing a pound of sugar to each pint of juice. BLACKBERRY AND APPLE JAM. Use equal weights of blackberries, and fresh apples peeled and cored; put the fruit into a preserving-kettle with an equal weight of sugar, and place it over a moderate fire; remove all scum as it rises, and boil the jam for three-quarters of an hour, stirring it frequently; then cool it, and put it up as already directed for other jams. BARBERRY-JAM. Allow equal weights of barberries and brown sugar; pick over the barberries, remove the stems, and weigh the berries; put them into the preserving-kettle with an equal weight of sugar, and a gill of cold water for each pound of sugar; let the sugar melt, and the fruit slowly reach the boiling-point, stirring it occasionally; when the fruit boils, put the kettle where its contents will simmer, and cook the jam slowly for an hour, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning; when the fruit looks clear, and is of the proper consistency for jam, take the kettle off the fire, let the jam cool, and then put it into glass or earthen jars or jelly-glasses; cover the surface of the jam with a round piece of white paper wet with brandy, and then seal the jars air-tight. BARBERRY-JELLY. Pick over sound berries, weigh them, put them into the preserving-kettle with water enough to prevent burning, and boil the berries to a pulp; pour the berries and their juice into a jelly-bag, and let the juice run through the bag without pressure; to each pint of juice add a pound of sugar; boil the sugar and juice together, removing all scum which may rise, until a little cooled on a saucer becomes firm; then cool the jelly a little, and put it up in glasses, covered with paper to exclude the air. BARBERRY-JAM. After making jelly, weigh the berries which remain in the jelly-bag, put them into the preserving-kettle with an equal amount of brown sugar, and boil them to a thick jam, removing all scum which rises, and stirring them to prevent sticking to the kettle or burning; when the jam is done, cool it a little, and put it up in air-tight jars or glasses covered with paper. PRESERVED MULBERRIES. Put two quarts of mulberries over the fire in a porcelain-lined kettle, after they have been carefully looked over, and the stems removed, and let them stand until they yield their juice; then squeeze them, and strain their juice; to each pint of mulberry-juice add two pounds of sugar; put the sugar and juice over the fire, and boil and skim them until they are clear; meantime, pick over more mulberries; allow two quarts of berries to the above-named quantity of sugar and juice; put them over the fire, and cook them gently until they are just tender, but not broken; when the berries are tender, let them stand over night in the sirup; the next day skim the berries out of the sirup, and put them into glass jars; put the sirup over the fire, and boil it until it begins to thicken; then pour it over the berries, close the jars, and seal them air-tight. PRESERVED ELDERBERRIES. Use three parts of elderberries, one part of the pulp of green grapes prepared as directed below, and an equal weight of sugar; pick the grapes from the stems, put them over the fire, and soften them with gentle heat until the pulp can be separated from the seeds by rubbing through a colander; while the grapes are being softened, pick the elderberries from the stems; put the sugar, grape-pulp , and elderberries over the fire in a porcelain-lined kettle, and stew them gently until the sirup begins to thicken, removing all scum as it rises; then cool them a little, put them into glass jars, and seal them air-tight. ELDERBERRY AND GRAPE JELLY. Use one third of ripe grapes, and two thirds of ripe elderberries free from stems; put them over the fire in a preserving-kettle, and cook them slowly until the juice flows freely; then pour them into a jelly-bag, and let them drain until all the juice is extracted. To each pint of the juice add a pint of granulated sugar; put them into the preserving-kettle, set it over the fire, and stir until the sugar is dissolved; continue the boiling until a little of the jelly cooled on a saucer stiffens; then partly cool it, pour it into jelly- glasses, and when the jelly is quite cold cover the glasses with white paper fastened with white of egg or mucilage. PRESERVED GRAPES. Pick ripe, sound grapes from the stems, and weigh them; squeeze the pulp from the skins, and save each in a separate vessel; use as many pounds of sugar as there are grapes; put the sugar into the preserving-kettle with half a pint of water to each pound, and let it boil, skimming it until it is clear; then put the pulp of the grapes into this sirup, and let them boil for two minutes; next turn the grape -pulp and sirup into a fine hair sieve, and rub them through it with a potato-masher, or a wooden spoon, to free them from seeds; then put them again into the preserving-kettle, together with the grape-skins, return it to the fire, and let its contents boil for about two minutes, or until the skins grow plump and full; after that, cool the preserve, and put it up in glass jars, as already directed in other preserve recipes. GRAPE JELLY. Jelly can be made from either ripe or green grapes by following any of the jelly recipes. GOOSEBERRIES PRESERVED WHOLE. Choose perfectly sound, ripe gooseberries, remove the tops and stems, and wash and dry them; weigh them, and allow an equal weight of sugar; to each pound of sugar allow half a pint of water; put the sugar and water in a preserving-kettle over the fire, and boil and skim it until it is perfectly clear; then put the gooseberries into an earthen bowl, and pour the boiling sirup over them; turn a plate over the berries to keep them under the sirup, and let them stand in it until the next day. The next day, put the fruit and sirup in the preserving-kettle, and boil them gently together until the gooseberries look clear. Cool the gooseberries in the preserving-kettle, and then put them up as already directed for other preserves, in glass jars, carefully excluding the air. JELLIED GOOSEBERRIES. Pick over gooseberries, removing the tops and stems, and separating the largest ones from the rest; put the smaller gooseberries into a preserving-kettle, adding half a pint of water to each quart of berries, and stew them to a pulp; then pour them into a jelly-bag, and let them drain all night. The next day put the large gooseberries over the fire in a saucepan, with sufficient cold water to cover them, and stew them gently until they begin to grow tender; then skim them out of the boiling water, and put them into a pan of cold water. Meantime, measure the juice from the gooseberries already cooked, and allow a pound of sugar to each pint of juice; put the fruit-juice and sugar into the preserving-kettle, heat, and stir them together, removing all scum which rises when the sirup begins to boil; when the sirup is quite clear, drain the large berries, put them into it, and boil them until they look clear; then skim them out, and put them into glasses or glass jars; continue to boil the sirup until a little of it jellies when cooled on a saucer; then remove it from the fire, partly cool it, and pour it over the preserved gooseberries; when they are quite cold, close them from the air, as directed for other preserves. RED-GOOSEBERRY JAM. Remove the tops and stems from three pounds of ripe red gooseberries, and strip a pound of red currants from the stems; put the fruit over the fire in the preserving-kettle, heat it gradually, and stir it frequently to prevent burning; when the fruit begins to break, add to it three pounds of sugar, and continue the boiling, stirring the jam almost constantly to prevent burning; let it boil steadily for about half an hour, or until a little of it cooled on a saucer seems of the proper consistency; then partly cool it, and put in jars or glasses; when the jam is quite cold, put a piece of paper wet in brandy in each jar, and close them all air-tight. GREEN-GOOSEBERRY JAM. Pick over green gooseberries, remove the tops and stems, wash them, and then put them into a preserving-kettle with half a cupful of cold water to each pound of gooseberries; set them over the fire until they begin to soften; then add to them an equal weight of sugar, and continue the boiling until a little of the jam cooled on a saucer is as thick as jelly; after the sugar is added, the jam must be stirred frequently to prevent burning; and when it begins to grow thick it must be stirred incessantly, or it will surely burn. The jam must boil about three-quarters of an hour. When it is done, remove the preserving-kettle from the fire, and partly cool the jam; then put it up, as directed for other preserves, carefully excluding the air. JELLIED CRANBERRIES. Pick over and wash two quarts of cranberries, put them into a porcelain-lined saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover them; place the saucepan over the fire, and slowly stew the fruit until it is soft enough to be pressed through a fine sieve with a potato-masher; to each pint of the cranberry-pulp add a pound of fine white sugar; put the cranberry-pulp and sugar over the fire, and boil them, stirring them constantly, for about fifteen minutes, or until a little of the jelly cooled on a saucer thickens to the desired consistency; when the jelly is properly boiled, pour it into moulds wet in cold water, and let it cool until it is firm. It is then ready for use. Serve the jellied cranberries with chicken pot-pie; or use them for cranberry tart, or as a sauce. RHUBARB-JELLY. Wash and peel some garden rhubarb or pie-plant , and cut it in inch pieces; weigh it, and allow an equal weight of sugar; put the sugar and rhubarb together in a porcelain-lined preserving-kettle over the fire where it cannot burn, and boil it gently until the rhubarb is almost entirely dissolved; then pour it into a jelly-bag to drain. When all the juice has run through the bag, put it again over the fire, and boil it for about twenty minutes, or until a few drops of it will jelly when let fall into a glass of ice-water, or cooled on a saucer; while the jelly is boiling, remove all scum that rises; when it is done, put it up in glasses, sealing them air-tight when the jelly is cold. Any rhubarb remaining in the jelly-bag can be sweetened and used on the table. RHUBARB MARMALADE. Peel and slice any desired quantity of garden rhubarb or pie-plant; put it into a preserving-kettle with an equal weight of sugar, and the grated yellow rind and juice of one lemon to each pound of rhubarb; stir it often enough to prevent burning, remove all scum as it rises, and boil the marmalade until a little of it jellies when cooled on a saucer. When the marmalade is partly cooled, put it into glasses or glass jars; when it is quite cold, lay a round of paper dipped in brandy in each glass or jar, and then seal them quite air-tight. Keep the marmalade in a cool, dark place. RHUBARB-JAM. Use equal weights of garden rhubarb, or pie-plant, and sugar, and to each pound of rhubarb one lemon; peel the thin yellow rind of the lemons into a large bowl, then cut away the thick white part of the skin, and slice the pulp of the lemons into the bowl, removing all the seeds; peel and slice the rhubarb about half an inch thick, put it into the bowl, and put the sugar over it; let the fruit and sugar stand over night. The next morning put all these ingredients into a porcelain-lined preserving-kettle, and boil them for three-quarters of an hour over a very gentle fire, then cool the jam, and put it up as already directed in preserve recipes. STRAWBERRY PRESERVES. The three recipes for strawberry preserves have been in use in the School of Cookery for several years, and have been published several times; and, as they are entirely satisfactory, the author sees no reason for altering them. The Wiesbaden recipe is especially good. Choose large, rather acid berries, of firm flesh, and not over-ripe; hull them, and if there is any sand on them wash and drain them; weigh the berries, and allow an equal weight of sugar; in the bottom of a porcelain-lined preserving-kettle put a layer of sugar, and then fill the kettle with layers of fruit and sugar, having a thick layer of sugar on top; cover the kettle, and let the berries stand over night in the sugar. The next morning put the preserving-kettle over the fire without disturbing its contents, and boil the berries gently until they look clear, removing all scum as it rises, and taking care not to let the berries break. When the berries are clear, set the preserving-kettle off the fire, and let its contents cool, keeping the kettle covered; then transfer the berries to glass jars, lay a round of white paper wet in brandy over each one, and close the jars air-tight. If the preserves are put up in tumblers, seal them from the air with paper dipped in the white of egg slightly beaten. WIESBADEN PRESERVES. The following recipe is copied from the admirable Household Department of the "Philadelphia Ledger," and has been found excellent upon trial. Three or four hours before they are to be bottled, or, if the weather is cool, the night before, remove the hulls from freshly picked berries. As the berries are hulled, place them in earthen dishes, adding sugar plentifully, as if preparing them for immediate use on the table. Be careful to add the sugar so that it will be mixed through the berries without having to stir them. Set the dishes away in a cool place. When ready to bottle them, pour off the juice which the sugar will have extracted from the berries; place it in a kettle, adding a little water, in the proportion of one small cupful to four quarts of juice; this will be about the quantity that will evaporate from the juice while boiling. As soon as the juice is boiling, put in enough berries to fill one bottle. Stir them down very gently; let them stay in about two minutes, then lift out with a strainer, so as to take no juice with them; fill the bottle two-thirds full, and place it in a pan of hot water to keep warm. Proceed in the same way until all the berries have been used, taking only enough for one bottle at a time. Then fill each bottle up with the boiling juice, put a teaspoonful of sweet olive-oil in the neck (the secret of the famous Wiesbaden preserved fruits ), and seal quickly. Put up in this way, strawberries keep their color and taste. The oil prevents the penetration of any air to the fruit. STRAWBERRY-JAM. Use small or crushed berries, carefully rejecting all decayed ones; prepare them as directed for preserves, and allow three-quarters of their weight in sugar; crush the berries and sugar in the preserving-kettle with a potato masher or a wooden spoon, and then heat them together and boil them for about half an hour, or until a little jam cooled on a saucer looks thick and clear; remove all scum as it rises; when the jam is done, cool it, and put it up as directed in the recipe for strawberry preserves. Another method of making the jam is to crush the berries and sugar together, and let them stand two or three hours before cooking them. FLORIDA ORANGE MARMALADE. Grate off the yellow rind of nine large oranges; add to the grated rind the juice of three large lemons; remove the thick white rind from the grated oranges, and all the rind from nine more; weigh the eighteen oranges, and allow an equal weight of white sugar. Put the grated rind,lemon-juice, and sugar over the fire, and let them boil; meantime free the pulp and juice of the oranges from all the white skin, and add them to the boiling sugar; boil the marmalade slowly until a little of it cooled on a saucer jellies. Put it away as directed in the recipe for other marmalades. PRESERVED TOMATOES. Use small yellow tomatoes, perfectly ripe and sound; pour boiling water over them, and then peel them, being careful to keep them entire. Weigh the tomatoes, and allow an equal quantity of sugar; to each pound of sugar use half a lemon thinly sliced, the seeds being removed; put the sugar and lemons into the preserving-kettle, with just enough water to moisten the sugar, and slowly heat it until it dissolves; boil it and skim it until it is clear; then put in the tomatoes, and boil them gently for three-quarters of an hour. Cool the tomatoes, and then put them up as directed in other preserve recipes. TOMATO-JELLY. Stew a quart of tomatoes, with a palatable seasoning of salt and pepper, to a soft pulp; strain this pulp through a very fine sieve or a jelly-bag; to each pint of the strained tomato add half a cupful of white sugar, and a tablespoonful of corn-starch dissolved in half a cupful of cold water; put these ingredients over the fire, and stir them until they have boiled for one minute; then cool the jelly. Serve it with broiled, fried, baked, or roasted meats. TOMATO-JAM. Scald ripe sound tomatoes, peel them, put them over the fire in a preserving-kettle, and cook them gently until they are tender enough to be rubbed through a sieve with a potato-masher; weigh the pulp, put it again into the kettle with an equal weight of sugar; to each pound add the grated rind and juice of two lemons, and boil the jam until it looks clear, and is thick when a little is cooled on a saucer. Then cool it a little, and put it up in air-tight glass jars, or in glasses with paper pasted over the tops. TOMATO-FIGS. Use the small yellow tomatoes; scald the tomatoes, remove the skins without breaking the fruit, and weigh it; allow half as much sugar as there is fruit; pack the tomatoes and sugar in layers in earthen jars, and let them stand for twenty-four hours. Then drain the juice from the fruit, add to it a pound of sugar for each pint of juice, put them together in a preserving-kettle over the fire, and boil them; when the sirup thus made is boiling, put in the tomatoes, and continue the boiling until they look clear, removing all scum as it rises; when the tomatoes look clear, pour them into earthen jars, and let them stand for two days. Then again drain off the sirup, boil it up once, pour it again over the fruit, and let them stand two days longer. At the end of that time take the tomatoes from the sirup, lay them on sieves or dishes, and dry them for a week, putting them in the sun every day, and turning them over twice a day; if the weather should be damp, the tomato-figs should be dried in a warm room. When they are quite dry, pack them in wooden boxes, with dry sugar between the layers, and keep them in a dry place. PRESERVED CITRON MELON. After the melon is peeled, weigh it; to each pound allow a pound of sugar, an ounce of green ginger-root , a lemon, and half a pint of water; scrape the ginger-root , and tie it in a clean cloth with the yellow rind of the lemon pared very thin; squeeze the juice of the lemon, and strain it; put the sugar and water over the fire, and let them heat together, and begin to boil, removing all scum as it rises; when the sirup is free from scum, put in the melon-rind, ginger, and lemon peel and juice, and boil all together until the melon looks clear, removing any scum which may rise. Then let the preserve cool in the kettle, and put it into glass jars after it is cool, leaving the ginger and lemon with it, if their flavor is desired, distributing them among the jars of citron. WATERMELON PRESERVE. The rind of watermelons may be preserved in the same way, after making it green, if the deep color is desired, according to the directions given in the recipe for spiced watermelon pickle, or for brandied green gages. PRESERVED PUMPKIN. Pare a sound pumpkin, first cutting it in pieces about an inch wide and two inches long; scrape out the seeds, and then boil the pumpkin until it is tender enough to pierce easily with a straw; then drain the pumpkin, and weigh it; allow a pound of sugar to a pound of pumpkin, and a lemon to each four pounds; slice the lemon, put it with the sugar, add a gill of water to each pound of sugar, and let it boil until a clear sirup is formed, removing all scum as it rises; then put in the pumpkin, and boil it gently until it is clear; cool the preserve, and then put it up as directed for other preserves. PRESERVED GRAPE-FRUIT. Peel off the rind of several large grape-fruit, putting them into plenty of salted cold water as fast as they are peeled; when all are ready, put them into the preserving-kettle, cover them with warm water, and let them boil slowly; change the water every ten minutes, always replacing that poured away with more warm water, and boil the grape-fruit until they can easily be pierced with a broom-straw; then put them on a sieve to drain. In the preserving-kettle, put one and a half pounds of loaf-sugar and half a cupful of cold water for each pound of fruit, and boil and skim this sirup; while it is being boiled, cut into the stem-ends of the grape-fruit with a sharp small knife, and remove the stringy pith in the middle of the fruit; when the sirup has been skimmed clear, put the grape-fruit into it, and boil it until it is transparent. Put the grape-fruit into wide-mouthed jars, and continue to boil the sirup; when a little of the sirup cooled on a saucer jellies slightly, pour it over the grape-fruit, and let the fruit cool in the sirup. When both fruit and sirup are cold, lay a piece of paper wet in brandy in each jar, and seal them air-tight. TUTTI FRUTTI PRESERVE. A good preserve can easily be made from fresh fruit as it ripens by following these directions: Put into a two-gallon wide-mouthed earthen or glass jar a quart of the best white French brandy; use any fruit, beginning with strawberries, and every day thoroughly stir the preserve with a wooden spoon; for every pound of fruit, add three-quarters of a pound of granulated sugar; put the fruit into the jar fresh; the berries are put in whole; cherries, apricots, peaches and plums are stoned, the three last also being peeled and quartered; grapes are seeded, the skins being removed at pleasure. After the last fruit is added, leave the preserve for a week before using it; keep the jar covered all the time, except when adding the fruit and stirring it. BAKED APPLES. Choose firm tart apples; peel them, cut them in eighths, core them, and put them into a two-quart earthen dish; to this quantity add one cupful each of light-brown sugar and water; cover the dish, place it in a moderate oven, and bake the apples for three hours, or until they are red; serve them hot in the same dish, with cream, after dinner; or remove them to a glass or china dish, let them cool, and then dust them with powdered sugar, and serve them for supper, either with or without cream. Fresh cream sweetened, and whipped to a froth, and then placed on the baked apples, makes a very nice dessert. STEWED GOOSEBERRIES. Pick over a quart of green gooseberries, remove the tops and stems, then throw them into fast- boiling water, and let them remain two minutes; then drain them, and let them stand for two minutes in sufficient cold water to entirely cover them, and then drain them again. When the gooseberries are first put over the fire, put a pound of sugar into a preserving-kettle with half a cupful of cold water, and let it boil; remove all scum as it rises, and when the sirup is clear, put in the gooseberries, and stew them until they are tender, but do not cook them until they break; when they are tender, skim them out of the sirup, and put them in a glass or china dish. Boil the sirup until a little of it cooled on a saucer jellies slightly, then pour it over the gooseberries. Serve them cold. FRIED BANANAS. Strip the skin from four bananas, and cut them in half-inch slices. The yellowish kind, called plantains, not quite ripe, are the best for this dish. Have ready over the fire a frying-pan containing about half an inch of fat, smoking hot; put the bananas into the hot fat, brown them quickly, dust them with salt and pepper, and serve them hot. If fried bananas are required for dessert, sugar should be substituted for salt and pepper. FRIED PEACHES. Cut in halves a dozen firm, ripe freestone peaches; have ready over the fire a dripping-pan containing smoking-hot fat half an inch deep; lay the peaches in the pan, the cut side down, as fast as they are cut, and fry them light-brown; as soon as the side next the pan is done, turn them over, without breaking them, and heat the other side. The moment they are heated through, arrange them on a hot platter, with the cut side up, put a little powdered sugar in each, and serve them hot for dessert. PEACHES STEWED IN WINE. Put into a porcelain-lined preserving-kettle one pint of sherry or madeira, one pint of cold water, and two pounds of cut loaf-sugar; place the kettle over the fire, let the sirup boil slowly, and skim it until it is quite free from scum; meantime peel firm freestone peaches, cut them in halves, and drop them into cold water to preserve their color; when the sirup is clear, put in as many peaches as will boil without crowding; cook them gently until they begin to look clear; then take them up with a skimmer, and put them into glass dishes or jars without breaking them; continue to cook the peaches in this way until there is only about a pint and a half of the sirup; boil this down to a pint, and pour it hot over the peaches. They may be used as soon as they are cold, or put up in air-tight jars for future use. PINEAPPLES This delicious fruit is of late years so abundant and cheap that it well deserves the attention of good housekeepers. It is an excellent dessert fruit, and, if quite ripe, is far less unwholesome than is generally supposed. As served usually, it is peeled, sliced, and sugared before it is sent to the table; but more of its flavor and juice are preserved if it is served with the skin on, in English fashion, or in West- Indian style, as directed below; either way it can easily be handled, for a knife and fork are always required to cut it readily, a teaspoon being quite inadequate for that purpose. Perfectly ripe pineapples do not really require sugar; but as many prefer to use it, it is well to place a dish of powdered sugar on the table with the fruit. The beauty of the fruit is in its shape and color, and these are lost if it is entirely cut up before being served. In England, where pineapples are always the greatest luxuries, they are cut in horizontal slices with a very sharp, thin-bladed knife, the slices being kept together, and the crown being left on the fruit, which is placed in the centre of a dish of assorted fruit as the chief ornament of the dessert. The pineapple can also be cut from the crown to the base in wedge-shaped slices, the middle being left just entire enough to hold the slices in place until they are needed for serving; they can then be readily dislodged with a thin, sharp knife, and served with a silver knife and fork. ICED PINEAPPLE. Take a ripe pineapple by the crown, holding it in the left hand over a large dish; with a very sharp, thin knife remove the skin and eyes; then grate it off the core into the same dish, using a large tin grater, which should be very clean and bright; while grating the fruit, hold it by the crown in the right hand, and steady the grater firmly in the left; after the pineapple is grated, put it into a glass dish, dust a little powdered sugar over it, pour upon it a glass of sherry, and put it for an hour in the ice-box; then serve it very cold. In Europe, porcelain and marbleized fruit-graters are made at china manufactories. BANANAS AND ORANGES. Peel three bananas, --the red sort is the best for this dish,--slice them crosswise, and lay them on a dish; just before serving them, squeeze the juice of an orange over them, dust them thickly with powdered sugar, and serve them at once. The bananas should be very cold before they are peeled. A variation of this dish is made by cutting the pulp of three or four oranges with the bananas, instead of using the juice. Whipped cream, and cream and sugar, are sometimes served with them. AMBROSIA. Pare and grate a pineapple as directed in the recipe for iced pineapple; peel half a dozen large Florida oranges, and tear their pulp away from the inner membranes, rejecting the seeds, and preserving all the juice; remove the shell and brown skin from a cocoanut, and grate it, saving the milk; put the pineapple, orange, and cocoanut in layers in a glass dish, slightly sprinkling each layer with powdered sugar; mix with the milk of the cocoanut any of the pineapple and orange juice which may remain in the dishes in which they have been pressed, add to them a glass of Jamaica rum, and as much sugar as will sweeten them moderately; keep the sirup thus made, and the ambrosia, in a very cold place until it is wanted for the table; then pour the sirup over the ambrosia, and serve it at once. Ambrosia is best when freshly prepared. ICED RASPBERRIES FOR DESSERT. Choose large, sound raspberries, remove the hulls, and examine the berries carefully to make sure they contain no insects; beat together the white of an egg and two tablespoonfuls of cold water; dip the berries singly in the beaten egg and water, roll them at once in powdered sugar, and lay them apart from each other on sheets of white letter-paper until they are quite dry; they may dry slowly, so that it is best to allow five or six hours; when they are dry, keep them in a cool, dry place until dinner-time, and then serve them for dessert. ICED STRAWBERRIES. After the berries are hulled, put them into a deep glass or china dish in layers with powdered sugar; then pour over them, for each quart, a wineglassful of any fruit-juice or fruit-wine, and place the dish in a refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Just before serving the berries, sprinkle them with finely pounded ice and then with powdered sugar. STRAWBERRIES WITH WHIPPED CREAM. After hulling the berries, put them into a glass or china dish in layers with powdered sugar, and place the dish in a cold place. Mix together one pint of cream, the whites of three eggs, and a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, and whip the mixture for one minute; then let it rest for a minute, skim off the froth, and put it into a colander set in a bowl; again whip and skim the cream; and so proceed until all the cream is whipped, occasionally turning back into the whipping-bowl the cream which drains from the colander. Keep the whipped cream very cold, and just before serving the strawberries lay it over them in a light mass. PEACHES WITH ORANGES. A variety of canned peaches, which are exceedingly nice, are put up with what is called heavy sirup; they are cut in thin slices, and the sirup has much sugar in it; to prepare this dish, first drain the sliced peaches, saving all the sirup in which they are preserved; dissolve in this sirup as much sugar as it will contain; then peel for each small can of peaches half a dozen ripe oranges; slice them thin, removing all the seeds;put the sliced oranges and peaches in layers on a dish, with a plentiful sprinkling of powdered sugar; pour the sirup over them, and then serve them. GRAPE-FRUIT FOR BREAKFAST. The Florida grape-fruit makes a most refreshing dish for breakfast. It is a clear-skinned, lemon-colored fruit, three or four times as large as an orange, otherwise closely resembling that fruit. Its flavor is sub-acid, but its juicy pulp is enclosed in a tough white inner membrane of intensely bitter taste; when this membrane is carefully removed, the fruit is a delicious tonic. To prepare grape-fruit for the table, cut the skin in strips, and peel it off; separate the sections of the fruit like an orange, and, holding each section by the ends, break it open, disclosing the pulp; tear the pulp in rather small pieces out of its bitter white envelope, carefully removing every trace of the latter; put the pulp into a deep dish, with a plentiful sprinkling of fine white sugar, and let it stand over night in a cool place. Use it at the beginning of breakfast; it is exceedingly refreshing and wholesome. CHAPTER XI. BEVERAGES, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE DIET OF INVALIDS AND CHILDREN. The number of beverages is proportionate to the proverbial thirst of mankind; but, in the limited space available, few can be mentioned. After the usual domestic drinks of tea, coffee, and chocolate or cocoa, some good temperance beverages are given, together with fruit sirups and cordials, upon which they may be based. Then follow a few of the drinks usually ordered by physicians in illness and convalescence; and some of the cups and punches generally used for garden-parties. The diet for invalids and children can only be outlined here, for lack of space, and because it is treated exhaustively in a larger work by the author in the Harpers' press. Dishes for invalids should combine nutriment with digestibility, and be attractive and appetizing; above all, their ingredients should be perfectly fresh; and not many ingredients should enter into one dish. Among the dishes suitable for invalids included in this book are: clear soup, bouillon, chicken and rice soup, cream oyster and clam soups, roast and broiled oysters, boiled and broiled salmon, Girard trout, fresh mackerel broiled, poached and shirred eggs and omelets, sweetbreads broiled and baked, tripe broiled and stewed, broiled chops and steaks, broiled chicken and game birds, calf's-foot and wine jellies, and some of the delicate puddings. Fruit must be subject to the doctor's selection; as also must be special diets of milk, beef, etc., because all changes in diet are to be carefully made. Some few good dishes are added to those already mentioned. FILTERING WATER OR SIRUP. When drinking-water is muddy, it can be cleared by filtering it as shown in the accompanying pictures: the first one represents the folding of a round piece of filtering-paper, such as can be procured at the druggist's; the folded paper is laid inside a funnel set in the neck of a decanter, and the water is allowed to run through the paper slowly. If smooth decanters or carafes are used, the water can be frozen in them after it is filtered, by following the directions given in the recipe for frozen carafes. For filtering sirup, a clean piece of thin chamois is excellent; the chamois should be washed in borax-water every time it is used, and very carefully rinsed in clear water; if borax is not at hand, a small piece of washing- soda may be dissolved in the water in which the chamois is washed, and it can then be thoroughly rinsed. COFFEE. The making of good coffee depends upon two operations; the straining to make it clear, and the infusion to extract its flavor and aroma. It is possible to make clear coffee without either straining or so-called settling; this point has been fully discussed in other works by this author, so that it need not be repeated here. Coffee may be strained by using coffee-pots containing percolators or wire-gauze strainers, or by enclosing the coffee in cotton bags of different shapes; actually boiling water is then to be poured upon it; but it must not be boiled unless it is wanted black and bitter, because boiling extracts its tannic acid. These points have been treated exhaustively in the books already published by the author. Two ounces of finely ground coffee to a quart Folded Filtering Paper. An illustration of folded filtering paper. Filtering Drinking-Water. An illustration of filtering drinking-water in a vase. of boiling water will make a medium strong beverage. Use boiling milk with it. FRENCH COFFEE. French coffee is made by mixing half an ounce of ground chicory with a quarter of a pound of coffee; put the coffee into the pot, and stir it over the the fire until it is hot; then crush one egg with the shell, and add it to the coffee, together with two quarts of cold water; stir the coffee occasionally until it is scalding hot, but not boiling, and then put the pot at the side of the fire, where it cannot boil, for five minutes or longer. Use boiling milk with it. CAFÉ NOIR. For cafÉ noir, or black coffee, use a cupful of coffee to a quart of boiling water; and if the coffee is wanted very black and bitter, boil it for a few minutes. Do not use milk with it. GLORIA. The form of black coffee called gloria by the French is rather an accident than a deliberately composed beverage. In all French households, it is the custom to serve cognac among the liqueurs after dinner, with the black coffee; and so far does the custom now prevail in this country, that in many of the hotels and restaurants a demi-tasse, or small glass of brandy, accompanies the small cup of black coffee served after dinner, unless cafÉ à la crême has been specified. After the black coffee is very much sweetened, a teaspoonful of brandy is poured upon the surface, and lighted; when the brandy is nearly burned away, the flame is blown out, and the coffee drank. The effect of this beverage was so satisfactory to its originators, that they marked their estimation of it by calling it gloria. TEA. Tea should be an infusion made with boiling water, and drank when freshly made; boiling tea extracts its tannic acid, and dissipates its aroma and flavor; of good tea, two teaspoonfuls to a pint of boiling water will make a moderately strong beverage; scald the teapot with boiling water, pour out the water, put in the tea, pour on a pint of boiling water, let the tea stand two or three minutes where it will keep hot without boiling, and then use it. If it becomes too strong by standing, pour more boiling water on it. Like coffee, chocolate, and cocoa, tea has been fully treated in the author's works already published. CHOCOLATE. Chocolate is sold in the form of sweet and black chocolate; a small cake, weighing about an ounce, is allowed for a cup, or half a pint, of thick chocolate; shave or grate the chocolate, melt it over the fire with half a cupful of water, stirring it constantly; then add half a pint of milk, and continue to stir the chocolate until it boils, when it will be ready to use. More water may be added if the chocolate is too thick. COCOA. Cocoa is made both from the beans and the shells of cocoa. It requires boiling,--the shells long boiling,--to completely extract its flavor and nutriment. Special directions usually accompany packages of cocoa. When they do not, use about two ounces of the bean or cocoa nibs, or more of the shells, to a quart of water; boil the cocoa at least a half-hour, and serve boiling milk with it. HOT COFFEE AND SODA. For temperance advocates, hot black coffee mixed with soda-water is a good substitute for the spirituous winter drinks. Make black coffee as follows:-- A quarter of a pound of good coffee and a quarter of an ounce of ground chiccory infused in a quart of boiling water, but not boiled, will make medium strong coffee. Boiling coffee makes it very black and bitter. Use hot black coffee and soda-water in equal proportions, with a palatable addition of cream sirup, or condensed milk and sugar. PINEAPPLE LEMONADE. Carefully boil a pound of sugar in a pint of water until it forms a thin sirup, removing all scum as it rises; meantime squeeze the juice from three large lemons, and remove their seeds from it; pare a ripe pineapple, take out the eyes, and grate it into a large bowl; add the lemon-juice to it, and the sirup as soon as it is clear, and let the mixture cool and stand for a couple of hours; then add to it a quart of ice-water, strain it, and use it. CURRANT-WATER. Pick over a pint of raspberries, and strip a quart of currants from the stems; bruise the fruit in a preserving-kettle with a wooden spoon, pour over it two quarts of cold water, add half a pound of sugar, and set the kettle over a moderate fire where its contents will heat gradually; after the currant-water begins to boil, remove the kettle from the fire, pour its entire contents into a flannel jelly-bag, and let the currant-water drain through the bag. When it is quite clear, cool it and ice it; add sugar to taste, and use it cold as a summer or temperance drink. CHERRY WATER. Keep the sirup in which cherries were boiled, in tightly corked bottles; and when a cool, refreshing beverage is wanted, mix a wineglassful of the sirup with a glass of cold water, sweetening it to taste. CHERRY SIRUP. Crush ripe cherries in a mortar, breaking the stones, and then squeeze them in a cloth to extract all their juice; with each quart of juice mix a pound of sugar, and boil them together for ten minutes, removing all scum as it rises; then cool and bottle the sirup. Use it for flavoring pudding-sauces, and in summer mix it with iced water as a cooling and refreshing drink. BLACKBERRY SIRUP. Pick over ripe blackberries, crush them, and squeeze their juice through a clean cloth; make a sirup by boiling a pound of sugar with a pint of water for ten minutes; add a pint of sirup to each pint of juice; boil the sirup and blackberry-juice together for fifteen minutes, after stirring them well together; then to each quart of the blackberry sirup thus made, add a wineglassful of brandy; when the sirup is quite cold, bottle and seal it air-tight. FLORIDA ORANGE WINE. The process for making wine from oranges is not difficult, and can be followed on a small scale, if one desires to try the experiment at home, when oranges are cheap. Wipe the oranges with a wet cloth, peel off the yellow rind very thin, squeeze the oranges, and strain the juice through a hair sieve; measure the juice after it is strained, and for each gallon allow three pounds of granulated sugar, the white and shell of one egg, and one-third of a gallon of cold water; put the sugar, white and shell of the egg crushed small, and the water, over the fire, and stir them every two minutes until the egg begins to harden; then boil the sirup until it looks clear under the froth of egg which will form on the surface; strain the sirup, pour it upon the orange-rind, and let it stand over night; then next add the orange-juice, and again let it stand over night; strain it the second day, and put it into a tight cask with a small cake of compressed yeast to about ten gallons of wine, and leave the bung out of the cask until the wine ceases to ferment; the hissing noise continues as long as fermentation is in progress; when fermentation ceases, close the cask by driving in the bung, and let the wine stand about nine months before bottling it; three months after it is bottled, it can be used. A glass of brandy added to each gallon of wine after fermentation ceases is generally considered an improvement. NEW-ENGLAND BOILED CIDER. Use new, sweet cider; boil it steadily until it is reduced one-fourth in quantity, removing all scum as it rises; cool it, and bottle it, sealing down the corks; a mould may form on the top of the cider if it is kept a long time, but it will not impair its quality. If possible, use cider not more than a day or two old for boiling. DIXIE PINEAPPLE CIDER. Chop the rind of a large pineapple fine, and put it into a pitcher with two quarts of cold water; tie a thin cloth over the pitcher, and let it stand until its contents ferment, which will be in two or three days in warm weather; then strain off the water, sweeten it to taste, bottle it, wiring the corks, and lay the bottles on their sides for forty-eight hours; the cider will then be ready to use. WEST-INDIAN PINEAPPLE SHRUB. Remove the crown from a large, ripe pineapple, pare it, remove the eyes, and chop it very fine; put it, with all its juice, into a narrow-necked earthen bottle or jug; add to it one pound of sugar and four quarts of cold water, and shake the jug for five minutes. Let the jug stand in a temperature of about 90° F. for two or three days, or until the shrub begins to ferment; after the shrub begins to ferment, cool it on the ice, and then use it. It is sometimes mixed at this stage with a freshly pared and grated pineapple and half a pound more of sugar, and frozen in an ice-cream freezer. So prepared, it is served like Roman punch. PINEAPPLE RUM SHRUB. Chop fine a large, ripe pineapple without paring it, put it in a glass jar, cover it with the best Jamaica rum, close it, and let it stand for three days. The third day, make a sirup by boiling together a pound and a half of sugar and a pint of water, and skimming it until it is clear, then strain and cool it. Squeeze half a pint of juice from limes or lemons, and strain it. Strain the rum from the pineapple, pressing the fruit to extract all its juice. Mix the cold sirup, fruit-juice , and pineapple-rum, with a quart more of the best Jamaica rum, and bottle it for use. A wineglassful, or less, in a glass of ice- water, makes a good summer drink. CURRANT SHRUB. Strip two quarts of ripe currants from the stems, put them into a glass jar, set it in a pan of cold water, and place the pan on the stove where the water will heat gradually; let it stand there for an hour or more, until the currants yield their juice freely; then strain the juice, and measure it; to each pint add six ounces of sugar, stirring the sugar into the warm juice until it is dissolved; then let it cool. When the sirup so made is quite cold, add to each pint of it a quart of Jamaica rum, and strain and bottle it. PINEAPPLE BRANDY. Pare a large, ripe pineapple, saving the rind to make pineapple cider, and slice it about a quarter of an inch thick; then weigh it, and use an equal weight of powdered sugar; put the fruit and sugar in layers in a large glass jar, with sugar at the bottom and top; pour into the jar enough of the best brandy to stand an inch above the pineapple; then close the jar perfectly air-tight, and keep it in a cool, dry, dark closet for a month or longer. Use the fruit for the table; and the brandy, mixed with soda-water or seltzer, for a drink in hot weather. CHERRY BRANDY. Use perfectly sound, ripe Morella cherries; wipe each one with a clean cloth, cut off the stems within an inch of the fruit, and prick each cherry several times with a needle. Blanch some shelled bitter almonds by pouring boiling water on them, and then rubbing off the skins with a clean cloth; crush some rock-candy fine; put the cherries into quart jars of glass, half-filling the jars, and adding to each six almonds and three ounces of candy; fill the jars with the best brandy, cork, and seal them air-tight, and keep them at least a month. Use the fruit for dessert, and the brandy as desired. RASPBERRY BRANDY. Carefully hull and pick over a quart of fine raspberries, bruise them, put them in a jar or wide bottle, and pour over them two quarts of good brandy; close the jar air-tight, and let the berries remain in the brandy for two weeks. Then put half a pound of sugar over the fire with half a cupful of cold water, and boil it until it becomes a sirup of medium consistency, removing all scum as it rises. Mix this sirup with the fruit and brandy, pour the mixture into a jelly-bag, and let it run through slowly; then bottle it, and cork the bottles, and keep them in a cool, dark closet for two weeks longer. At the end of two weeks, filter it again, carefully pouring it from the bottles to avoid disturbing the sediment, and when the liquor is quite clear and bright, bottle it for use. RASPBERRY LIQUEUR. Prepare berries according to the directions given in the recipe for raspberry brandy, substituting any pure spirit preferred for the brandy; bottle for use in the same way. BLACKBERRY BRANDY. Bruise five pounds of blackberries; add to them one gallon of proof spirits, one-eighth of an ounce each of crushed cloves, mace, and cinnamon, and a dozen crushed cardamom-seeds; let all these ingredients stand, closed from the air, for two weeks. Then make a sirup of two pounds of sugar and one pint of water by boiling them together until a little cooled on a saucer is about as thick as maple-sirup, and strain and cool it; strain the spirit away from the crushed fruit and spice, and mix it with the sirup; let the mixture stand, closed from the air, for two weeks, and then filter it, and put it up in air-tight bottles. BLACKBERRY CORDIAL. Allow a pound of granulated or loaf sugar for each quart of blackberry-juice , obtained by mashing the berries, and then squeezing them in a cloth; add to these quantities of berry-juice and sugar, a quarter of an ounce each of whole cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and pounded but not powdered nutmeg. Boil all these ingredients together over a gentle fire for two hours; then strain the cordial thus produced through a bolting-cloth sieve, or through a fine cloth, add to it half a pint of the best brandy, and bottle and cork it. This cordial is very useful in cases of diarrhoea or dysentery; it also makes a very wholesome summer drink, a tablespoonful being used in a glass of cool water. PEACH BRANDY. To make peach-brandy , crush ten pounds of good peaches without peeling them, breaking the stones; put the peaches into a tub or barrel, pour over them two gallons and a half of ninety-five per cent alcohol, and two gallons of water; cover the tub, and let the peaches stand in the liquor for twenty-four hours. Then strain off the liquor, pressing the peaches to extract all of it, and filter it, to clear it, through flannel or filtering-paper Next add two and a half pints of white sirup, and then bottle the brandy. If the color is wanted dark, use a very little caramel. The sirup is simply water containing as much white sugar as will dissolve in it: the sirup may be clarified unless the sugar is very pure. PEACH AND HONEY. A good winter drink is made by mixing together one tablespoonful of honey, and a wineglassful of peach -brandy. CIDER CUP. Mix together in a large glass jug, or a claret-cup, the following ingredients: one quart of cider, two wineglasses of sherry and one of brandy, the thinly cut yellow rind of two lemons, one orange sliced, and, in season, six thin slices of cucumber. Fill the cup with finely pounded or shaved ice, sweeten it palatably, and serve it before the ice entirely melts; a glass of curaçoa and a little grated nutmeg may be added if desired. CLARET-CUP. Mix together in a claret-cup one bottle of claret, one wineglassful of brandy, the yellow rind of a lemon cut very thin, a sprig of mint, and three slices of cucumber if it is in season, sugar enough to make the cup palatable, plenty of fine ice, and, last of all, two bottles of seltzer-water or plain soda. Serve the claret-cup as soon as it is made. CHAMPAGNE-CUP. Mix very quickly in a claret-cup, and serve at once, two bottles each of champagne and seltzer or plain soda-water, and half a pint of any good water-ice . ROMAN PUNCH. Mix in a large tumbler one tablespoonful each of sugar and raspberry-sirup , the juice of half a lemon, one teaspoonful of curaçoa, a wineglassful of Jamaica rum, and half a wineglassful of brandy. Fill the glass with shaved ice; put a teaspoonful of port-wine on the top, and whatever berries or fruit are in season, and drink the punch through a straw. PUNCH à LA ROMAINE. This beverage requires to be partly frozen in an ice-pail or an ice-cream freezer. Mix two pounds of powdered sugar in the juice of a dozen lemons; add the thin yellow rind and juice of two oranges, and stir until the sugar is dissolved; then strain the sirup thus made, and mix with it the whites of a dozen eggs beaten to a stiff froth; freeze this mixture nearly solid; then quickly stir into it one bottle each of champagne and Jamaica rum, and serve the punch at once in small goblets or champagne-glasses. The freezing-mixture is composed of equal parts of salt and pounded ice packed around the vessel containing the Roman punch. CAPILLAIRE FOR EAU SUCRÉ. Put a pound of sugar over the fire, in a thick saucepan, with a pint of cold water and the white and shell of one egg; stir them together until the sugar is melted, and the egg begins to harden; then let the sirup boil for five minutes; strain it and cool it; to each pint add a wineglassful of curaçoa, and bottle the capillaire. A teaspoonful or more in a glass of cool water makes good eau sucrÉ, refreshing in illness where the use of sugar is permitted. VIRGINIA VERDER, OR BOTTLED MILK-PUNCH. Cut the yellow rind very thinly from six oranges and six lemons, and steep the rind for twenty-four hours in a bottle of brandy; squeeze the juice of the fruit, free from seeds, upon two pounds of white sugar; add to it four quarts of water and one of milk made boiling hot; then stir in the brandy, and repeatedly strain the mixture through a jelly-bag until it is quite free from sediment. As soon as it is clear, bottle it, and cork it air-tight. Keep it in a cool place, and use it as it is required. MILK-PUNCH. Mix the following ingredients in a large tumbler : one tablespoonful of powdered sugar and two of cold water, one wineglassful of the best brandy and half that quantity of Santa-Cruz rum; after these are well mixed, put in enough shaved ice to half fill the tumbler, and then fill it with cold milk, and grate a little nutmeg on the surface. Hot milk -punch is made in the same way, omitting the ice, and using hot milk. WHITE TIGER'S-MILK. For one quart of this beverage, mix together half a gill each of peach-brandy and apple-jack , two drops each of oil of cloves, cinnamon, and orange, one quart of milk, and a palatable sweetening of powdered sugar; grate a little nutmeg over the surface, beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth, whip it into the tiger's-milk, and serve it at once. HOT APPLE-TODDY. This favorite winter drink is made as follows: Take the pulp from a hot baked apple of medium size, using a teaspoon to free it from skin and core; put it into a tumbler with an equal measure of apple-jack , a pleasant addition of sugar and grated nutmeg, and a little boiling water. A usual proportion for a single toddy is one finger of baked apple, two each of apple-jack and boiling water, a tablespoonful of sugar, and a grate of nutmeg on the top. EGG-NOG. Beat the yolk of an egg and a tablespoonful each of sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved; then stir in one wineglass of brandy, half a wineglass of Santa-Cruz rum, and one-third of a tumblerful of milk; last of all beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth, put it on the egg-nog , and serve it at once. In summer two tablespoonfuls of shaved ice may be added to the egg-nog . EGG AND SHERRY. Pour a teaspoonful of sherry into a wineglass, put the unbroken yolk of a fresh egg upon the wine, and swallow them together, without breaking the egg in the mouth. HALF-AND-HALF. Half-and-half is a mixture of equal parts of freshly drawn ale and porter well mixed together, and drank at once. EGG-FLIP. Heat a quart of freshly drawn ale; meantime beat the yolks of four eggs to a cream with four tablespoonfuls of brown sugar, and the whites to a stiff froth; when the ale is scalding hot, pour it upon the yolks, stirring constantly; then quickly whipin the whites until the flip is smooth, and serve it. If the ale is too hot, it will curdle or cook the eggs. PORTER SANGAREE. Dissolve a heaping teaspoonful of sugar in a tablespoonful of water in a tumbler, fill the tumbler with freshly opened porter, grate a little nutmeg on it, and drink it. PORT-WINE SANGAREE. Put a teaspoonful of sugar in a tumbler with a wineglass and a half of port-wine, fill the tumbler with shaved ice, and serve the sangaree; grate a little nutmeg over the top. MULLED WINE. Put a pint of wine over the fire to heat with a pint of water; meantime, beat three eggs with three tablespoonfuls of sugar; when the wine is hot, but not boiling, pour it into the eggs, beating the mixture constantly; if the wine is too hot, it will curdle or cook the eggs; sweeten the mulled wine to taste, grate a little nutmeg on it, add a little allspice, and serve it hot. MINT JULEP. Use for an ordinary tumbler half a dozen sprigs of fresh mint; bruise the tops a little in the glass with one tablespoonful of sugar and two of water, using a teaspoon; then pour in a wineglass and a half of brandy; take out the mint, fill the glass with shaved ice, and put the mint in again with the stems down. On the top of the julep arrange fresh berries, slices of orange or pineapple, and a couple of straws, and serve the julep at once. SHERRY COBBLER. Put in a large tumbler two glasses of sherry, a heaping tablespoonful of powdered sugar, three small slices of orange or pineapple, and half a dozen raspberries or strawberries; fill the glass with cracked ice, put a couple of straws in the cobbler, and serve it at once. WHISKEY PUNCH. Dissolve a heaping tablespoonful of sugar in a wineglassful of hot or cold water (as the punch is to be hot or cold) add a small ring of lemon-rind cut very thin, and a little lemon-juice if it is liked; then pour in a wineglassful of whiskey, and as much water, hot or cold, as is desired, and drink the punch. BEEF-TEA. The beef for beef-tea should be quite lean, and chopped fine; for a pint of beef-tea use a pound of beef; pour over it a pint of cold water, and let it soak for an hour or longer; then put the beef and water over the fire, and let them heat until the beef begins to look brown; or let the beef-tea actually boil, if it is preferred; strain the beef-tea through a sieve only fine enough to retain the particles of beef, but not to make the beef-tea clear; season it as the physician directs, and serve it. BEEF-JUICE ON TOAST. Boil a thick piece of beefsteak until it is medium rare; then score it in all directions, and put it between two plates, or in a lemon-squeezer, to press out the juice. Either use the juice as a drink, or, as it is squeezed from the beef, let it fall upon a slice of delicately made toast; sprinkle a little salt over the toast, and serve it hot. CLEAR CLAM-BROTH. Wash the clams in the shells in cold water, put them over the fire in a thick saucepan, and heat them until the shells open; carefully pour out the broth, strain it through a fine towel, season it as the physician permits, and serve it hot. Sometimes the soft portions of the clams may be eaten. Or the clams may be used for fritters or scalloped clams. STEAMED CLAMS. Wash and cook the clams as directed in the preceding recipe; after the clam-shells open, take out the clams; strain the broth, heat the clams in it quickly, and serve them on toast. DRY TOAST. Cut slices of stale bread half an inch thick; trim off the crust, put the bread near the fire, and brown it delicately, taking care not to burn it. BROILED OYSTERS. Carefully remove all bits of shell from large oysters, lay them between the bars of a buttered oyster-gridiron, and hold them over a hot fire until their edges begin to curl; then at once serve the oysters on toast, with the seasoning allowed by the physician. BROILED SQUABS. Carefully pluck and singe two squabs; split them down the back, cut off the heads and feet, wipe the birds with a wet towel, put them between the bars of a buttered gridiron, and quickly brown them on both sides; season them lightly with salt and pepper, and serve a sliced orange with them. MILK PORRIDGE. Mix smoothly a level tablespoonful of flour with a cupful each of milk and water, a level teaspoonful of salt, and a little grated nutmeg; stir these ingredients over the fire in a thick saucepan until they boil, and then serve the porridge. RICE-GRUEL. Mix smoothly a level tablespoonful of rice-flour with a pint of water, and a level teaspoonful of salt; put the gruel over the fire, and stir it occasionally until it has boiled for half an hour; then serve the gruel. An inch of stick cinnamon may be boiled with it if the physician permits, or a glass of brandy added before it is served, if a stimulant is required. WATER-GRUEL. Water-gruel is made like milk-porridge by using the entire liquid quantity of water, omitting the milk. The gruel may be slightly sweetened if it is desired; or a little grated nutmeg may be added to it. RICE AND BARLEY WATERS. These beverages are made by thoroughly washing half a cupful of either grain in plenty of cold water, then putting the grain over the fire in two quarts of fresh cold water, and boiling it down one-half; after the water is reduced one-half, strain it, cool it, sweeten and flavor it to taste, and use it. PANADA. Put a tablespoonful of bread-crumbs over the fire with the same quantity of sugar, a grate of nutmeg, and half a pint of cold water, and boil the panada for five minutes; then add a glass of wine to it, and serve it at once. CAUDLE. To a cupful of cold-water gruel add a glass of wine, an egg beaten to a foam, and sugar and nutmeg to suit the patient's taste. HOME-MADE GRANULA. Granula as sold at the shops is rather expensive, and can be prepared at home with but little trouble; it is excellent for gruels and porridges for invalids and children. To prepare the granula, use stale pieces of Graham or brown bread; cut the stale bread in pieces of equal thickness, put them into the oven, and bake them until they are light brown; then roll them with a rolling-pin until they break into small crumbs; sift the crumbs through a coarse sieve to insure uniformity, rolling and sifting again the crumbs too large to pass through the sieve the first time; keep the granula in air-tight jars or boxes in a dry place, and use it as required; it will keep as well as cracker-dust . Any of the recipes for preparing gruels and panadas will serve for the preparation of granula, or it may be used to thicken hot milk or soup for invalids or children. RENNET CURDS. Heat a quart of milk lukewarm, put it in an earthen bowl, stir with it a tablespoonful of liquid rennet, or of rennet-wine, and let the curds set; then pour the curds into a sieve set over a bowl, and let the whey drain off. Serve the curds with cream and powdered sugar. RENNET WHEY. Use the whey which drains from the curds, sweetened and flavored as the physician permits. BREAD JELLY. Boil a slice of stale bread to a pulp in enough boiling water to cover it; rub it through a sieve, sweeten and flavor it to taste, and cool it in a cup or mould. Serve cream and powdered sugar with it. CRANBERRY AND SAGO JELLY. This jelly can be prepared in the winter season when fresh fruit is scarce and expensive, and will prove a very acceptable addition to the dietary of an invalid when the physician will permit its use. Pick over and wash one quart of fresh cranberries, put them in a thick saucepan with sufficient cold water to cover them, set them over the fire, and stew them until they are tender enough to yield all their juice, breaking them with a spoon as they cook; when they are soft, squeeze them in a muslin jelly-bag or a clean towel; measure the juice, and put it again over the fire; to a quart of the strained juice add half a pound of sugar and two ounces of sago, and continue the boiling until the sago is transparent; then pour the jelly into glasses or moulds wet with cold water, and let it cool before using it. DISHES FOR CHILDREN. The physical basis of diet for children is clearly defined in the author's "Dietary for Schools," which was written at the suggestion of the Hon. John Eaton, U.S. Commissioner of Education, and published as Circular No. 4, series of 1879, of the Bureau of Education, Department of the Interior. It is reprinted in the late editions of the author's "Cooking-school Text-book." The following points are extracted from the dietary:-- Every care must be taken to supply children with a variety and abundance of nutritious and digestible food, in which fruit, the cereals, vegetables, milk, mutton, beef, and poultry should be included; together with simple sweets, and plain puddings chiefly composed of milk,eggs, and flour or bread. The character of the diet should be varied with the seasons; cold weather permitting the use of plenty of substantial food, and summer making advisable an abundance of ripe and fresh fruit and vegetables. Tea,coffee, and stimulants should be avoided, and plenty of cool fresh water used as the habitual drink. The fact should be remembered, that milk is not a beverage but a food, of which the greater part becomes solid after it is drank. With the exception of salt, the condiments should be used sparingly. The breakfast should be early and plentiful, and when any drink but water is desired, warm milk and water, or cocoa may be used. Midday dinners should be varied and always hot,--indeed, all food is most digestible when warm,--composed of some plain meat dish, at least two vegetables, and a simple pudding. Soup is invaluable for children, but it must be plain. The supper should be light and nutritious, given about two hours before retiring, and may include warm bread-and-milk, any form of porridge and milk, custard, bread and butter, simple stewed fruits, and either cool water or cocoa as a beverage. If children are very active, and grow fast, their appetites will always be keen, and should be completely satisfied with abundance of well-chosen food. When children get hungry oftener than the recurrence of the regular family meals, they should be supplied with a light repast of digestible character; indeed, it is well to give them a regular luncheon of bread and butter, or bread and milk, in the mid-forenoon, and again about three or four o'clock if their supper does not come before six o'clock. If a child is hungry, it cannot be well or happy; and the rapid growth of youth causes a constant demand to be made upon the vitality supplied to the system by food. When children show any marked preference for special foods, care should be taken to modify their tastes so that they may always eat a sufficient variety to obtain from food the elements requisite to a well-balanced physical development. Every abnormal appetite should be modified by judicious control on the part of the parents or nurse, if the child is to receive the care its helpless condition imposes upon its natural protectors: they are as much responsible for its physical well-being as for its moral rectitude. These outlines will serve to guard those having the care of children, from making the mistakes which too often entail a life of weakness or suffering as the consequence equally of injudicious indulgence, and of neglect of the most ordinary rules of health.